Pirelli driver Simone Faggioli claims ninth European Hillclimb title

Simone Faggioli

With victory at the Ilirska Bistrica hillclimb in Slovenia, the latest round of the FIA European Hillclimb Championship, Pirelli driver Simone Faggioli has claimed his ninth title: equaling the record for the most number of titles in the sport. Faggioli used Pirelli’s hillclimb tyres to secure his latest title, which use a lot of the cutting-edge technology seen in Formula 1. These P Zero hillclimb tyres are available in three compounds – soft, supersoft, and ultrasoft – as well as a Cinturato wet tyre for heavy rain. The unique and challenging conditions of hillclimbing require a tyre that can deliver top performance instantly, with a rapid warm-up even in the cold conditions that often characterise this high-powered and high-altitude sport. Faggioli won seven out of 10 rounds this year to clinch the championship, with one round still to go, driving a Norma M20 FC protoype. “I’m absolutely delighted with this latest achievement, which is a real team effort,” said Faggioli. “Tyres are such a crucial part of this sport, so I want to thank Pirelli for all the improvements we have made over the course of the year. The team also has done a fantastic job. It wasn’t such an easy start to the year, but things got better and better, so to equal the record is absolutely fantastic. I couldn't be happier.” The 37-year-old has spearheaded Pirelli’s development of its hillclimb tyres, which have proved to be extremely effective in a huge variety of conditions and are manufactured in Pirelli’s new motorsport facility in Slatina, Romania. Pirelli’s rally activity manager Terenzio Testoni said: “Congratulations to Simone and his team for this fantastic achievement, which equals the record number of titles won in the European Hillclimb Championship. Our hillclimb tyres have undergone an intensive development programme, of which Simone has been an integral part, to the point where they are now the class-leading tyres to have on the championship. This title is also a tribute to our people in Slatina, Romania, responsible for the manufacturing of these cutting-edge tyres.” The FIA European Hillclimb Championship is the oldest FIA championship in existence, having first run in the 1930s.

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