Pirelli Competizioni: the Maserati MC 12 Project

Pirelli and Maserati are Back on Track GENEVA, Switzerland, March 3, 2004 - In North America, Pirelli Competizioni development during the past few months has been concentrated on getting ready for the upcoming ALMS (American Le Mans Series) season, starting with Sebring in the middle of March. However, in Europe the main focus of Pirelli's competition attention has been on track testing the new Maserati MC 12 race car. The Geneva Motor Show provided Pirelli with an opportunity to update the media on one of the sport's most glorious partnerships-Pirelli and Maserati. After the announcement of the Maserati Trophy series in 2003, the new MC 12 marks the return to motor racing of Maserati and Pirelli, a duo that was instrumental in helping to shape the history of the sport in the 20th century. The Maserati MC 12 will compete in this year's FIA GT Championship on Pirelli P Zero tyres, which have been developed exclusively for this project. The Maserati MC 12 has been thoroughly tested by Andrea Bertolini and Fabio Babini, the Ferrari-Maserati test drivers and reigning FIA GT champions. They have put the Maserati MC 12 through a demanding test schedule aimed at obtaining maximum performance, long distance reliability and optimal set-ups. The drivers and the engineers of Maserati Racing Unit have worked on all of those key points with the technicians of Pirelli Competizioni in order to obtain the maximum from the P Zero tyres developed for this new car. In weather that was not ideal because of the coldness of air and asphalt, the drivers have covered hundreds of laps on Ferrari's 2.9-kilometer Fiorano track in the Maserati MC 12. Each day was devoted to durability testing at maximum speed of each component of the car: engine, tyres, gearbox, suspension, brakes and all the on-board electronic systems. The Pirelli P Zero tyres for the new Maserati MC 12 are tailored to the power delivery and load distribution characteristics of the car. The new P Zeroes have worked well on the Maserati MC 12, as confirmed by the car's competitive lap times. The supply of Pirelli P Zero tyres for the Maserati MC 12 is the result of an agreement reached last year between Pirelli and the Ferrari Maserati Group, which also includes the Ferrari Challenge and a technological partnership involving the Ferrari 360 GT. Pirelli is Maserati's sole partner for all its racing activities. The tyre group renewed its Ferrari Challenge collaboration agreement in 2002, under which Pirelli also became the reference tyre supplier for the Ferrari GT. The accord will run until 2005, with an optional two-year extension to 2007. Pirelli Competizioni: Back to the track After Pirelli's electrifying conclusion of the 2003 championship with four consecutive victories by Bertolini and De Simone in the Ferrari 360, the 2004 FIA GT Championship begins at Monza, the same magical circuit at which last year's championship ended. And there will be no lack of surprises. A growing commitment to the series by the major car manufacturers means the cars and drivers that take to the grid will be even tougher and more competitive. Pirelli Competizioni will back its teams and drivers with thousands of P Zero Corsa tyres at the various circuits and is ready for the challenge. A new Italian team, GPC Squadra Corse, will run with the Ferraris 575 GTC that dominated in Estoril 2003 with top drivers such as Christian Pescatori, Fabio Babini, Phillip Peter and Fabrizio De Simone in the GT category. New national and foreign teams, new tyres, new circuits -China and Dubai-and the arrival of Maserati during the course of the season will be the key elements of 2004. Trofeo Maserati This year, Maserati and Pirelli will once again confirm their commitment to racing. The highly successful 2003 debut of the Trofeo Maserati for entrants and spectators alike at Europe's top race tracks will be repeated again this year with the same formula: a championship for gentlemen drivers in the tried and tested Maserati Trofeo car, derived from the Cambiocorsa Coup. A luxurious yet "mean" car, the handling of which has been developed and refined during many hours of testing with Pirelli technicians, as well as in last year's championship. Given the "gentle aggressiveness" Trofeo drivers demonstrated in duels to the last corner during 2003, this year's championship will almost certainly be even more exciting and selective. Maserati's second single-marque championship will begin on May 2 at Vallelunga and will experience a high point at Hockenheim on July 25, where it will be a support event to the German Formula One race. Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Another element in the strategic partnership between Gruppo Ferrari Maserati and Pirelli is the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli, a classic in national and international motor sport, which enters its 12th season in 2004. It is a championship for semi-professional and gentlemen drivers and is split into three segments-the Italian, European and North American series-with all competitors at the wheel of the Ferrari 360, the road going version of which is also fitted with Pirelli P Zero tyres. Spectating at a Challenge race is always exciting: the competitiveness of the drivers and teams is total and, even if well within the bounds of good sportsmanship, door handle to door handle racing is a regular feature.