Pirelli proves performance of new Cinturato RW wet tyre in Germany

Armin Kremer scored a podium on his home event

Rallye Deutschland is always one of the most arduous rallies on the entire World Rally Championship, making it the perfect place for Pirelli to introduce the new Cinturato RW wet tyre for heavy rain, in 235/40-18 size, alongside the proven P Zero RK asphalt tyre. With Rallye Deutschland split into three distinct legs – as it is made up of three former national rallies rolled into one – the P Zero RK7B tyres got off to an excellent start by winning the first stage in WRC2 with ex-European champion Armin Kremer, held in dry conditions. The German driver maintained the lead of his home event throughout the opening leg in his Skoda Fabia R5, but mixed wet and dry conditions for the remainder of the rally made it difficult for him to find the right set-up. In the end, he claimed a podium place with third overall in WRC2 – beaten only by the two factory Skodas. Both the young Italian drivers backed by Pirelli and ACI (Italy’s national motorsport federation) – Fabio Andolfi and Damiano de Tommaso – finished in the top six in WRC3 in Germany with two strong performances. This reinforced their top five positions in the overall WRC3 championship, despite the fact that they are driving R2 cars, up against much more powerful R3 machinery. As is often the case, Germany featured some extremely variable weather, particularly during the second leg through the notorious Baumholder military ranges. This provided a valuable opportunity for Pirelli’s new Cinturato RW rain tyres to have their first outing, which have been especially designed to maximise grip and water expulsion in full wet conditions. Despite the severity of the weather, all the Pirelli drivers were very pleased with the confidence and performance that their new Cinturato RW tyres gave them in the most demanding conditions. Every single type of weather was encountered during the Rallye Deutschland weekend, making tyre and set-up choice particularly challenging throughout all three days. On the first day, the roads were largely dry with damp patches. On day two, the morning was mixed, but heavy rain in the afternoon allowed the Pirelli drivers to use the new Cinturato RW and regain some of the lost time. The short final day was slightly damp in the morning, then dry in the afternoon. Pirelli’s rally activity manager Terenzio Testoni said: “As we expected, Germany provided one of the most challenging and changeable asphalt rallies of the entire championship, with an enormous range of conditions encountered. The most difficult day was Saturday, with heavy rain in the afternoon, meaning that the new Cinturato RW full rain tyre could make its debut. In particular, the drivers praised the safe feeling that our new tyre gave them, in spite of the marginal conditions. This allowed us to secure another podium in WRC2 against factory-backed opposition, in keeping with our philosophy this year of supporting privateer drivers.”

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