PIRELLI SETS A RECORD IN THE SEASON OPENER AT BATHURST

The P Zero DHF confirms its reliability and, along with Mercedes AMG, sets a new Mount Panorama track record

Pirelli will be the Australian 12 Hour race’s sole tyre supplier to the end of 2028

Braga: “An interesting and successful weekend. Our next challenge, the pre-season tests at Paul Ricard”

The season-opener answered many questions and saw Pirelli add to its already long list of records. That sums up the first GT race of 2024, the Bathurst 12 Hours, which confirmed the reliability, versatility and performance of the P Zero DHF. The tyres from the GT Challenge series’ sole supplier ensured it was a close race, won by Matt Campbell driving a Porsche 911 GT3R (A-Pro Team) as well as helping Jules Gounon and his special version of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 to set a new Mount Panorama circuit record. Using the standard P Zero DHF, as supplied to all cars entered in all GT races, the French champion covered the 6.213 kilometres of the track at an average speed of 191.82 km/h in a time of 1m 56.605s, the fastest ever GT lap at the Mount Panorama circuit.

Over the weekend, the tyres had to deal with very different, even extreme conditions. During the race itself, the ambient temperature went from 16 degrees at the start to a maximum of 30, while the track went from 18 to 40. At times, it also rained, which meant wet tyres had to be used.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Matteo Braga, head of Circuit Activity Pirelli: “It was an exciting weekend and not just because we played our part in setting a new record and bringing home a new racing win with a brand we have always partnered, but also because, in what is always a challenging races, we acquired valuable information and data for the rest of the season and for the future development of our tyres. Overall, once again the P Zero DHF confirmed its versatility and suitability in a variety of different conditions over the course of one race. The next test bed will be the test at Paul Ricard, prior to the start of the GTWC Europe season, which looks likely to present plenty of challenges.”

Pirelli continues as sole supplier to the Bathurst 12 Hours up to 2028. This partnership between the tyre supplier and race organiser was confirmed over the race weekend with the signing of a five year agreement.