RALLY OF PORTUGAL: THE NEW SCORPION MAKES ITS DEBUT

Pirelli presents the evolution of its gravel tyre for the Rally1 cars

Even more robust, with increased durability among the attributes of the updated range

Testoni: “The WRC is an incredible platform on which to develop cutting-edge solutions for all categories and championships”.

A range of gravel tyres with an updated construction aimed at delivering longer life and with greater strength than its predecessor, while its performance characteristics remain unaltered. That’s the news from Pirelli at the Rally of Portugal, the second gravel event of the season. The update is in line with the programme of continuous evolution for WRC tyres. The new Scorpion KX WRC, designed for the Rally1 cars, features new markings, with the traditional SA and HA, for the soft and hard respectively, now replaced with SB and HB.

These new tyres have made particular use of the data gathered by Pirelli since 2021 in the highest level rally championship and have been tested in Sardinia and Portugal, in other words on the most difficult terrain encountered this season. The hard version of the Scorpion destined for the Rally2 cars features a similar evolution to that introduced for Rally1.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Terenzio Testoni, Pirelli Activity Manager: “The WRC is an important development platform also for all categories and championships in which we are and will continue to be involved, starting with ERC. Portugal is one of the toughest events on the calendar and will therefore be an excellent proving ground which is bound to bring us important findings. The teams have already expressed their satisfaction with the new product which is more robust than its predecessor, itself having proven to be very popular with the drivers. Its working range and performance are unaltered, therefore obviating the need for any specific learning process.”

THE PIRELLI TYRES IN PORTUGAL
The main challenges of the Portuguese rally are:

• high speed and technical gravel roads with a surface that is initially soft and sandy, with poor grip
• rocky surfaces with sharp stones appearing after the first runs, thus making life difficult for those starting further back
• the possibility that deep ruts can form on the stages
• the weather is an unknown quantity and if it should rain the road surface can become a slippery, muddy quagmire

For those reasons, the Scorpion KX WRC SB soft compound tyre has been chosen as the prime in Portugal, as it provides grip even in the most slippery conditions, with a balance of performance, endurance and strength, with the hard compound Scorpion KX WRC HB as the option, best suited for the more abrasive surfaces and longer stages.

The regulations allow an allocation of 28 and 8 tyres for the prime and option respectively. Crews can choose up to 12 option tyres, but that reduces by 4 their allocation of primes.

As for the other categories in Portugal, the Rally2 cars will have the Scorpion K6B (soft) and the new K4C (hard), while Rally3 can use the K6A (soft) and the K4A (hard). These categories have an allocation of 26 prime and 8 option, the latter with the possibility of crews increasing the number to 12, with the number of primes therefore reduced by 4.