RALLYE MONTE-CARLO, TYRE STRATEGY IS CRUCIAL
The return to Gap suggests more wintery and challenging conditions than in previous seasons
On debut the latest evolution of studded tyres, developed with the characteristics of the 2024 edition of the rally in mind
The toughest day promises to be Saturday with over 134 timed kilometres
Testoni: "The teams have a wide choice of strategies, as they know they can count on a reliable and versatile range of tyres"
The Monte-Carlo Rally returns to base itself in Gap, after a two-year absence, in search of more severely snow- and ice-covered surfaces than seen in recent editions. Even if at the moment the weather does not threaten particularly extreme conditions, the first round of the World Championship season will certainly be a severe test for everyone, in which drivers and teams will measure their ambitions for the continuation of the championship and will be called upon to show their ability to fine-tune their tyre strategy.
THE CHALLENGE
The Rallye Monte-Carlo is, in fact, the race in which the right choice and the correct handling of the wide range of tyres available counts perhaps more than any other consideration, due to the extreme variety of road surfaces, which change from test to test and throughout the day.
Of the four days of the 92ndMonte-Carlo Rally, Saturday promises to be the most demanding with 134.86 timed kilometres divided into three special stages to be repeated twice. Sunday's finale will take place between Gap and Monte Carlo, where the prize-giving ceremony will take place.
PIRELLI QUOTE
Terenzio Testoni, Pirelli Rally Activity Manager: "As was the case last year, we arrive at the Monte-Carlo Rally with already one victory in the season's palmarès, the one obtained in the demanding Jännerrallye. From the first race of the World Championship we expect invaluable indications for the future development of our range, which in these years of participation in the WRC has continued to evolve, thanks to the experience accumulated and the collaboration with the teams. This rally is certainly one of the toughest of the entire season, in which the tyres make as much of a difference as the drivers' approach to the very different challenges they will face. The teams have a lot of strategies at their disposal, as they know they can count on tyres that in past editions have proved reliable and versatile in all conditions".
THE TYRES FOR THE MONTE-CARLO RALLY
P Zero RA WRC: the soft compound version of the asphalt tyres is the specification developed for slippery surfaces. The supersoft version, renewed in 2023, is a solution designed exclusively for the Monte-Carlo Rally, which requires asphalt tyres suitable for very low temperatures.
Sottozero STZ-B: a highly versatile winter tyre, intended for all car categories and designed for dry, wet, snow-covered or mixed snow-ice surfaces. This specification is available in two versions: studless and studded. The latter will be supplied in its most recent evolution, developed taking into account the route of the 2024 edition of the Monte-Carlo Rally, which is more demanding and has more snowy sections than the last two years. The new version of the studded Sottozero features a more robust and resistant construction than its predecessor.
Each driver in the top category has 80 tyres at his disposal, of which he can use up to 38 during the race, including four shakedown tyres. For the rally, each car has a total allocation of:
- 24 P Zero RA Soft
- 20 P Zero RA Super Soft
- 24 studded Sottozero STZ-B
- 12 Sottozero STZ-B studless
Pirelli also supplies tyres to the other four-wheel-drive cars, including the WRC2s, taking part in the event. The tyres for these categories of cars have similar characteristics, in terms of technological solutions and performance, to those developed for WRC1. All-wheel drive cars will have at their disposal:
- 20 P Zero RA7+B Soft
- 16 P Zero RA9 Super Soft
- 24 Sottozero STZ-B studded
- 12 Sottozero STZ-B