Pirelli gets set for a taste of the 24 Hours at latest Blancpain round in Belgium

This weekend, Zolder in Belgium will host the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup and Pirelli will be supplying its P Zero DHD tyre to the entire grid as sole tyre supplier. With the Spa 24 Hours less than two months away, the event will provide a taste of competition in Belgium for the Blancpain competitors, ahead of the season highlight. This weekend’s race is round three of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, which is currently led by Maxi Buhk. What's the circuit like? Zolder in Belgium measures 4.011 km and was built in 1963. Formerly a home of the Belgian Grand Prix, the track does not have particularly high speed sectors or high load corners: although there are some chicanes that test the physical structure. As will be the case for the Spa 24 Hours, one of the biggest challenges could come from the Belgian weather, which is notoriously unpredictable. Which tyres is Pirelli bringing? Pirelli will bring its P Zero DHD tyre for the provisional Blancpain GT grid of 32 cars, and for wet conditions the WH tyre will be available. This is a single compound, single-pattern tyre designed to work effectively for every car on the grid, with both professional and amateur drivers. What are the most likely race strategies? There are two races, one qualifying and one main, lasting just one hour but during this period driver and tyres must be changed. There’s a specific pit stop window between laps 25 and 35 designed to split the driving duties equally between the crew, to assess the overall team performance that is at the heart of GT racing. Quote: Matteo Braga, circuit activity manager: “Zolder can be a useful warm-up for the Blancpain crews for the Spa 24 Hours. Even though the track is very different, the weather conditions are often equally variable and there’s also a similar atmosphere, with a huge number of fans turning up to see the cars in action. With a sprint race, the emphasis is on flat-out speed, but the versatility of our DHD tyres means that they are equally at home delivering peak performance as they are during longer stints at endurance races such as Spa.” Qualifying for the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup takes place from 09.15 – 10.10 with the qualifying race at 16.00 on Saturday 3 June. The main race runs on Sunday 4 June from 15.30 – 16.30.

***

Follow us on Twitter @pirellisport or Facebook: Pirelli Motorsport. Please also visit the Pirelli website for more information on the company: www.pirelli.com. For further information please contact: Francescopaolo Tarallo • +39 334 684 4307 • francescopaolo.tarallo@pirelli.com (Head of Product and Motorsport Communication) Carla Corbet • +44 7584 037 687 • carla@mediaticaworld.com Maria Stella Narciso • +39 338 942 3585 • mariastella.narciso@pirelli.com