In Race 1, the Team WRT pairing took the lead after a frantic start and held it to the finish. Valentino Rossi, who had started from pole position in the number 46 BMW, received a 10-second penalty for exceeding track limits. The incident involving Rossi's car helped trigger a multi-car collision involving Andrea Frassineti and Daniel Juncadella. After the restart, Weerts built up the gap, which van der Linde then managed through the second half of the race. Rossi and Max Hesse, who had dropped to ninth as a result of the penalty, recovered to finish sixth. Second place went to the Porsche of 24 Hours of Spa winners Bastian Buus and Ricardo Feller, ahead of the Mercedes-AMG of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel, runners-up at Spa.

In Race 2, the van der Linde/Weerts BMW repeated their win after chasing the Mercedes of Juncadella and Jules Gounon, of the Verstappen team, which had started from pole, for half the race. Third place went to the Winward Racing Mercedes of Auer and Engel, who consolidated their lead in the drivers' championship by holding off repeated attacks from fourth-placed Valentino Rossi over the final two laps.

"It was a straightforward weekend from a tyre perspective, as they confirmed their reliability and consistency of performance even in high temperatures and in the sprint races," commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli's Circuit Activity Manager. "On a demanding circuit like Misano, the ability to manage the tyres through the different phases of the race and to read how the track evolved over the weekend were the key factors that allowed the winners to make the difference."

In the other Pirelli-equipped competitions held at Misano over the weekend, the GT2 European Series was won by Marius Aigner and Reinhard Kofler in the MZR team's KTM X-Bow GT2 in Race 1, and by Mikkel Njor and Ethan Gialdini in the CMR team's Ginetta G56 GT2 in Race 2.

In the GT4 European Series, extreme temperatures put the series-derived cars to a severe test. Nonetheless, they held nothing back, pushing to the limit in both races. In Race 1, victory went to Charlie Hart in the Elite Motorsport McLaren, while Gregory Guilvert took Race 2 in the Speedcar team's Audi.

Michael O'Brien won Saturday's McLaren Trophy race, and Guido Lucchetti dominated Sunday's.

“Returning to Misano is one of the highlights of our season, both because of the strong public attendance and the technical characteristics of the circuit,” said Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager. “The P Zero DHG tyres will face a demanding workload, particularly because of the heavy decelerations required by the circuit’s 16 corners. The stresses increase especially through the sections where the drivers aim to carry as much speed as possible, with continuous load transfers between the front and rear axles caused by the succession of braking and acceleration phases. Another factor to consider will be the high temperatures expected over the weekend.”

As in the endurance races, cars competing in the Sprint Cup and in the other series supported by Pirelli at the Misano round – the GT2 European Series, GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy – will have the P Zero DHG available in a range of sizes suited to every GT class. In the event of rain, the crews will instead be able to rely on the Cinturato WHB.

The weekend’s races

At the wheel of the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Thiim set the benchmark in both races of the Nuremberg event.

Starting from pole position in Saturday afternoon’s race, he led all 63 laps and crossed the finish line just 0.587 seconds ahead of Engel in the Mercedes-AMG. Arjun Maini finished third, securing Ford’s first podium of the season. The race was suspended for around an hour on lap 34 following an accident at the first corner involving Kelvin van der Linde and Maximilian Paul, which made repairs to the barriers necessary.

Race 2, held on Sunday afternoon, began behind the safety car and was suspended within the opening minutes following an accident that forced Matteo Cairoli’s Ferrari to retire. During the stoppage, the cars switched to Cinturato wet tyres after a rain shower had begun to dampen the track in the opening laps. However, when the sun returned, the circuit dried rapidly, forcing the drivers to switch back to slick tyres as early as lap 22. Thiim also managed the decisive phase of the race to perfection, claiming his second victory of the weekend and completing a flawless weekend for himself and a historic one for Aston Martin. Behind Thiim, Finn Wiebelhaus finished 0.887 seconds adrift in the Ford, while Lucas Auer took third place in the Mercedes-AMG.

Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager:

“The Norisring races once again proved to be demanding and spectacular, delivering surprises this year as well. As expected, the high-speed braking zones, uneven road surface and restarts placed our P Zero tyres under considerable stress, but they proved reliable throughout the weekend. In the end, victory went to the driver who was able to find the correct operating window immediately and maintain stability and traction throughout the race, as Thiim had done since free practice.”

Pirelli tyres for the DTM

The Norisring was the fourth round of the season for the new P Zero tyres developed specifically for the DTM, with characteristics designed to guarantee performance, reliability and adaptability across the different circuits and the series’ race format.

The dedicated range, also recognisable by its specific graphics and design, is produced at the Pirelli Technology Hub in Breuberg, using processes and materials optimised to ensure consistent performance and support the Balance of Performance system. The tyres are also equipped with RFID technology, allowing the tracking required under the 2026 DTM regulations and contributing to sporting and technical management at the circuit.

The challenge
The anti-clockwise layout, narrow carriageways, very close barriers and road surface normally open to traffic make the track one of the most intense and difficult events of the season. Here, it is not only pure speed that counts: precision, braking stability and the ability to put the traction down very early on exit from slow corners are required. The cars arrive at the main braking zones at over 250 kph and have to slow to around 60 kph, with bumps and surface irregularities further increasing the difficulty for drivers, cars and tyres.

The weekend comes at a very tight stage of the championship. Matteo Cairoli, driving the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari, arrives at the Norisring as championship leader after taking his second win of the season at the Dekra Lausitzring. His advantage, however, is minimal: Maro Engel and Lucas Auer, both in Mercedes-AMG cars, are just one point behind him. For Cairoli, the Norisring is almost new territory: the Italian driver has raced there only once, eleven years ago.

Among the other expected front-runners is Thomas Preining, already a three-time winner on the Nuremberg circuit and fresh from victory at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps together with team-mates Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus.

Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager:
“The Norisring is one of the most distinctive circuits on the DTM calendar. It has only four corners, but that does not make it simple: on the contrary, it concentrates all the stresses into a few very severe points. High-speed braking, the irregular road surface and slow exits put the tyres under stress in a different way compared with longer and more complete circuits. Every variation in temperature, pressure and grip can have a direct impact on performance. The proximity of the walls reduces the margin for error to a minimum and makes the predictability of the car’s behaviour lap after lap even more important. It will be essential to find the correct operating window quickly and to maintain stability and traction throughout the race. With the standings so close, tyre management will be a decisive factor.”

Pirelli tyres at the Norisring
From this year, Pirelli is supplying the DTM with an evolution of the P ZERO tyres developed specifically for the championship, with characteristics designed to guarantee performance, reliability and adaptability to the different tracks and to the series’ race format. The dedicated line, also recognisable by its specific graphics and design, is produced at the Pirelli Technology Hub in Breuberg, Hesse, using optimised processes and materials to ensure consistent performance and support the Balance of Performance system. The tyres are also equipped with RFID technology, which enables the tracking required by the 2026 DTM regulations and contributes to sporting and technical management on track.

Two cars, however, emerged as the absolute protagonists: the number 80 Porsche of Lionspeed GP, driven by Thomas Preining, Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus, and the never-say-die number 51 Ferrari of AF Corse, which finished third thanks to the fighting spirit of Alessio Rovera, Tommaso Mosca and Nicklas Nielsen. Between Ferrari and Porsche, on the second step of the podium, was the number 48 Mercedes-AMG of the Mann-Filter team, entrusted to Lucas Auer, Luca Stolz and Maro Engel.

The victory of the number 80 Porsche was built lap after lap, well before the closing stages. Having started from the pit lane, the car climbed back through the field with consistent pace, effective strategy and decisive overtakes at key moments, turning itself from an outsider into the benchmark of the race. In the final hours, its advantage became increasingly established, helped by clean management of the most delicate phases and by the absence of mistakes when they mattered most.

Behind it, the number 48 Mercedes-AMG defended second place with determination, holding off the Ferrari’s late charge all the way to the finish. The AF Corse car, after dominating the Superpole and the decisive qualifying sessions, led the race several times and confirmed that it had the outright potential to win. Its result, however, was compromised by unfavourable episodes, contacts and setbacks that repeatedly interrupted its run. Its final comeback brought it back onto the podium, but this time its latest resurrection was not enough to challenge the Porsche of Preining, Feller and Buus for victory.

Over the course of the 24 hours, marked by exceptional heat during the daytime phases and by a brief but extremely intense rain shower in the second part of the night, seven cars from six different manufacturers took turns in the lead: the number 51 Ferrari, the number 48 Mercedes-AMG, the number 84 Audi, the number 64 Ford Mustang, the number 46 BMW, the number 74 Ferrari and the number 80 Porsche. There were also numerous neutralisations, with 12 Full Course Yellows and six Safety Car periods, which had a significant impact on strategies, gaps and the race order.

Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager: “Tyre management was crucial. In the end, success went to the crews that, over the previous days, made the most of the different conditions across the various sessions to work on race-pace consistency, which proved essential in the most difficult moments of the race. The severe temperature variation was one of the main challenges to manage, both for the cars and for the tyres. The P Zero DHG tyres delivered performance and reliability, supporting an extremely hard-fought competition from start to finish, in which many drivers and a wide variety of cars played leading roles, all operating at the highest level of performance.”

In the GT4 European Series, the most eagerly awaited of the support categories alongside the McLaren Trophy and also supplied by Pirelli, there was a double victory for the number 12 BMW M4 GT4 G82 EVO of Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, which won race 1 with Thomas Rackl and race 2 with Gabriele Piana.

Team members come from all key functions and, in addition to the Milan headquarters, also hail from Pirelli's other R&D and Motorsport centres scattered across four continents. The personnel will be equipped with monitoring and analysis systems that leverage the most advanced technologies and the expertise Pirelli has accumulated through its involvement in over 350 competitions worldwide.

Such a commitment is, of course, demanded by the sheer scale of the event, whose climax begins at 16:30 on Saturday 27th, when the 24 Hours gets under way. The 70 entries for the main race – valid for both the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the Intercontinental GT Challenge, representing ten prestigious manufacturers – are joined by 44 cars for the GT4 European Series and a further 20 for the McLaren Trophy. The top-class field boasts 250 drivers hailing from 43 countries across all continents. Record-breaking numbers that confirm the Spa 24 Hours' ever-increasing significance in customer motorsport.

Lamborghini, winner of last year's edition, will take to the track with the new Temerario GT3, competing in a 24-hour race for the very first time. Ferrari, Ford and Porsche respond with evolved machinery.

MATTEO BRAGA, PIRELLI CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER:
"Few events in the world combine the technical and competitive challenges of the Spa 24 Hours with such a highly professional and selective environment, bringing together the very best of global motorsport. From a tyre perspective, the 24 Hours traditionally represents a particularly severe test due to the characteristics of the circuit, starting with Eau Rouge, Raidillon and Blanchimont – corners that demand the utmost from the tyres, subjecting them to extreme thermal and mechanical stress. Managing the tyres carefully, with the correct parameters, can make a significant difference over the course of the race. This year an additional variable comes into play: particularly high daytime temperatures will make conditions even more demanding, while the thermal swing between day and night will require teams to carry out very precise work in adapting set-ups and pressures."

THE TYRES
The cars in all categories supported by Pirelli will be equipped with the P Zero DHG, available in various sizes to suit all GT classes. The key features of the P Zero tyres to be fitted on the GT3 cars relate to materials that ensure greater consistency in car balance over long distances.

The DHG tyres destined for GT4 machinery, in addition to sharing innovative materials with those used for the GT3 range, feature an optimised structure in both profile and construction, delivering a more uniform footprint across all track conditions and for all car types.

In wet conditions, crews in all GT classes can rely on the Cinturato WHB, which features a stiffer tread pattern and an optimised design thanks to innovative materials that have helped improve footprint, grip and warm-up performance at low temperatures.

THE REGULATIONS
Cars entered in the 24 Hours have a maximum of 30 sets of dry-weather tyres available for the entire race weekend, with one additional set allocated for participation in Super Pole. This set, however, may not be used during the race itself. There are no restrictions on wet-weather tyres.

Taking the top step of the podium were Andrea Mazzola, Sebastian Øgaard and Ariel Levi in the Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II, at the end of a race full of twists right to the finish, with several laps run under safety car and full course yellow conditions. Second place went to the Mann-Filter Team Mercedes-AMG, driven by Luca Auer, Luca Stolz and Maro Engel, while third went to the CSA Racing McLaren, shared by Lorens Lecertua, Baptiste Moulin and Romain Andriolo.

At the start, a chain reaction of contact eliminated several leading contenders, including the HRT Ford Racing Ford Mustang GT3 EVO, which had taken its first GTWC pole position. The early contacts and the subsequent safety car intervention reshaped the race strategies, as several crews used the opportunity to complete their mandatory pit stops. That decision then gave teams greater freedom in choosing the timing of their next stop and extended the stints, increasing the stress on the tyres, already high because of the characteristics of the circuit, the elevated temperatures and the amount of debris left on track over the course of the weekend.

“It was a decidedly demanding weekend for everyone, with plenty of points of interest for the public and for the teams, who were given several elements to reflect on,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Racing Activity Manager. “Our P Zero tyres proved reliable and consistent even in these conditions, across all the categories we supply.”

In the other series supported by Pirelli, including the McLaren Trophy, the GT2 European Series saw a Maserati one-two in Race 1, with Antoine Potty of I4Race taking victory ahead of Gherard Tweraser of LP Racing. Third place went to Jay Mo Härtling in a Mercedes-AMG GT2, who then went on to win Race 2, followed by two more Mercedes cars driven by Nil Montserrat and Branden Oxley, both from NM Racing Team.

In the GT4 European Series, Enrico Förderer completed a double, winning both Race 1 and Race 2 in a Mercedes-AMG GT4.

McLaren Motorsport is pleased to announce a new three-year extension of its partnership with Pirelli, which will continue as the Official Tyre Supplier to the McLaren Trophy on a global basis. This renewed agreement reinforces the long-standing collaboration between two leaders in high-performance motorsport and establishes a strong foundation for continued innovation and growth.

As part of the agreement, Pirelli will supply tyres and provide on-track technical support across all McLaren Trophy series in both Europe and North America. The partnership focuses on delivering optimal performance, consistency, and safety for competitors, while enabling close cooperation in tyre development, trackside engineering, logistics, and data sharing to enhance race weekend operations.

The Italian tyre specialist has a long-standing relationship with McLaren Automotive, with every road car equipped with Pirelli tyres. That close partnership extended into McLaren Trophy from the start of 2023 when the European series was launched and further strengthened last year with the addition of McLaren Trophy America. The new agreement will provide long term stability for teams and drivers in the championships, which now forms an integral part of the McLaren Motorsport factory driver programme.

For both series, Pirelli will supply its benchmark GT tyre range: the P Zero DHG for dry conditions and the Cinturato WHB for wet weather. The natural rubber of both tyres is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC™)¹ and carry the logo. This indicates that all the natural rubber² used comes from plantations that are managed to ensure biodiversity, as well as benefiting the people who live and work in these areas. 

The McLaren Trophy Europe season will start on home soil for Pirelli, with rounds one and two taking place at Monza - the iconic ‘Temple of Speed’ - on the 29^th – 31^st May. The weekend will be the first of five, with the series running as a major support event to the 24 Hours of Spa in late June, before racing at Misano, Barcelona and concluding at Portimäo in Portugal. The American season got underway at Sonoma in March as warm up to the season’s headline event supporting the Miami Grand Prix. Events at Road Atlanta, Road America and the world-famous Indianapolis Motors Speedway round out the calendar.

“We are delighted to continue our close relationship with Pirelli as our Official Tyre Supplier Partner. McLaren Trophy is a growing platform and tyre performance is central to the competitiveness and safety of our championship. Pirelli’s reputation for innovation, technical excellence and motorsport experience makes them an ideal partner. This three‑year agreement gives teams and drivers certainty and access to best‑in‑class tyre support as the series continues to grow.”

Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive

“Working with McLaren in both Europe and America is a prestigious commitment for us. It’s and an important opportunity to further strengthen our expertise in GT racing, while also partnering with one of the most prestigious brands in the automotive world, with which we have long-standing ties on the road car side as well. This year’s calendar is especially demanding, with a packed schedule of challenging events, and we are ready to support it with a product that is already proven and highly regarded, while continuing to deliver our customary level of trackside service.”

Dario Marrafuschi, Motorsport Director, Pirelli. 

______________

Pirelli tyres (FSC™N003618) are FSC™-certified as MIX Natural Rubber. This shows that they are manufactured from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber, conforming with FSC™ ADVICE-40-004-15. 

² the equivalent of 17 percent of the total weight of the tyre

The race is expected to be particularly closely fought, with 57 entries representing 10 manufacturers. Setting the pace will be the Mercedes of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel, which leads the provisional standings after the first two races. Alongside the GT3 cars, 80 further cars from the other GT series competing at Monza will also be in action, all supplied by Pirelli: the GT2 European Series, GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy.

“It will certainly be an interesting and challenging weekend for everyone,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli. “Not only because of the high number of entries and the ever-increasing level of competitiveness in GTWC, but also because the season is now moving into a decisive phase, with several crews ready to try to make an early break. Given the characteristics of the race and the circuit, careful tyre management will be fundamental, also taking into account the expected weather conditions.”

The cars competing in the race will have Pirelli P Zero DHG slick tyres available, as well as Pirelli Cinturato WHB tyres in the event of rain, which is currently forecast as probable during the race itself, at the end of a weekend that is otherwise expected to be very hot.

Both factors place the tyres under particular stress. The tyres are among the components subjected to the greatest loads, both under traction and braking and when cornering, due to the high vertical and lateral forces generated by the high-speed corners and by the banking at Turn 3 and Turn 14, with inclinations of up to 19 and 18 degrees respectively. At these points, the gradient produces different effects on vertical and lateral load, with direct consequences for the tyres and for the overall performance of the cars, which therefore require a dedicated set-up.

More specifically, the steep banking reduces lateral load and allows higher cornering speeds, while at the same time significantly increasing the vertical load on the tyres, placing the construction under stress even at the same speed and aerodynamic load.

In addition, the Zandvoort circuit presents variable grip conditions because of the presence of sand and salt on the asphalt. This calls for flexible car set-ups, able to adapt quickly to changes in the track surface and consistently generate the highest possible level of grip.

“From the first event at the end of April it was already clear that this will be a very closely fought season,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activities Manager. “Because of its characteristics, Zandvoort could begin to provide the first indications of the pecking order among teams and drivers, all of whom are highly competitive and professional. Here more than ever, an accurate tyre strategy will be decisive, also in light of the new regulations governing tyre use. It is no exaggeration to say that, for many cars, the outcome of the two weekend races will already start to take shape during free practice.”

From this year, Pirelli is supplying DTM drivers with an evolution of the P ZERO tyre range developed exclusively for the championship. The product combines performance, reliability and adaptability across a wide variety of track and usage conditions, meeting the specific requirements of the DTM’s particular race format. The championship-dedicated range is also distinguished by its graphics and design.

Production of the P Zero DTM range takes place at the Pirelli Technology Hub in Breuberg, Hesse. Advanced methods are used there across the entire value chain, including optimised processes for managing semi-finished and finished products. Specific material solutions and an optimised production process design help to ensure consistent performance and provide a solid basis for the Balance of Performance, or BoP, system. The tyre is also equipped with RFID technology, which enables precise tracking in accordance with the 2026 DTM regulations. This supports tyre management at the circuit while also creating a reliable basis for sporting fairness.

The German team’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO crossed the finish line in third place at the end of an extremely close-fought race, having led several times in the opening phase and battled for second place in the final laps. That car number 34, driven by Christian Krognes, Mattia Drudi, Nicki Thiim and Felipe Fernández Laser, could be an unexpected protagonist had already become clear on Friday, when it topped Top Qualifying 1 and took second place in Top Qualifying 2.

The 2026 result represents Aston Martin’s first overall podium in the history of the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

“Congratulations to the drivers, Walkenhorst Motorsport and Aston Martin Racing,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli. “Our engineers and theirs have done an excellent job over this year of collaboration, during which we have approached a race that is still relatively new to us with commitment and innovative solutions, and in which we are continuing to grow, also thanks to Walkenhorst Motorsport’s extensive experience. After last year’s podium, we can say that the characteristics of the P Zero and Cinturato tyres have been confirmed: they are both high-performing and reliable, even on such a demanding circuit and in weather conditions that were more variable and severe than usual, completely opposite to last year’s heat, with intermittent rain and hail and decidedly wintry temperatures.”

Among the other Pirelli-equipped cars entered in the race, the eighth and 17th places achieved by Dinamic’s Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Evo26 cars are also worth noting.

In 2025, Pirelli entered into a multi-year partnership with Walkenhorst Motorsport, making the German team one of the Company’s reference partners for development activities on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.

Some of these cars will share another distinctive feature in addition to their tyres: Pirelli’s signature yellow and black colours. The two Dinamic Porsches, one Walkenhorst Aston Martin and Dörr’s number 59 will race with special liveries developed for the occasion, underlining the close relationship of technological collaboration and joint development that links them to the tyre manufacturer.

“The Nürburgring has traditionally been a benchmark for everyone and the ideal track on which to test innovative and demanding solutions, as well as an opportunity to consolidate our research work side by side with professional partners who this year have chosen to celebrate our collaboration by bringing Pirelli colours onto their liveries,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Racing Activity Manager. “In this edition of the 24 Hours, the level of competitiveness and the record number of cars entered will make the weekend particularly demanding. As always, I expect a closely fought race in every category, full of uncertainty and open to every possible outcome until the very end. We are supporting combative, high-quality teams that have everything they need to make their mark.”

AUTO BILD will be celebrating its 40th anniversary at the Nürburgring 24-hour race and will be welcoming selected guests in the Pirelli Hospitality in the paddock.

The tyres

The GT3 cars in the SP9 class will be equipped with P Zero tyres optimised for the Green Hell and for the specific demands of the race, in accordance with the regulations. In the event of rain, crews will have Pirelli Cinturato tyres available.

The numerous GT4 cars fitted with Pirelli tyres will use the standard DHG and WHB tyres, designed for all GT categories in every championship.

Both races kept the Red Bull Ring crowd on the edge of their seats. Saturday's race was won by Thomas Preining's Porsche from the Manthey team, having qualified third in a very tight qualifying session that saw lap times better than the 2023 track record and 11 drivers within less than a second. Behind the Manthey driver came Luca Auer in the Landgraf team's Mercedes-AMG, and Maro Engel in the Ravenol team's Mercedes-AMG.

Sunday's race was won by Engel, who started fifth on the grid, followed by Marco Wittmann in the Schubert team's BMW, who started as far back as ninth, and Auer.

"We are very satisfied with the performance of the new P Zero tyres for the DTM," said Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager at Pirelli. "It was not a given that already at the first race the drivers would be able to get the best out of the tyres, exploiting the performance optimised for this race format. We saw many different tyre strategies, which was one of the objectives set for us by the teams and the promoter during product development. Furthermore, the faster warm-up minimised the impact of pit stops, allowing drivers to defend their position more easily after the stop. There will certainly still be a great deal for everyone to learn: first and foremost on our side, as we gathered interesting data over the weekend, but also on the drivers' side, who will need to optimise the management of the mix between new and used tyres over the course of each event and throughout the seasonal carry-over."

Spectators also enjoyed the challenges in the other categories of which Pirelli is a partner: GT Masters, GT4 Germany and the FIA Formula Regional championship, which kicked off its season and its first event with the new generation of cars fitted with 15-inch Pirelli P Zero tyres – also, like those for the DTM, developed bespoke and exclusively for the championship.

“The P Zero DHG tyres, now well known to the drivers, once again proved reliable in every race of this opening weekend of the season, which was fiercely contested and spectacular across every category on track,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. “As always, the 6 Hours was demanding, also because of the rapid evolution of track conditions, with temperatures falling from 21 degrees ambient and 29 on the track at the start to 16 and 17 degrees respectively by the end. It was a foretaste of what lies ahead over the rest of the championship: races whose outcome remains uncertain right to the finish. The Revival did not disappoint, not only because of the beauty of the cars, but also because of the quality of the two races held today: at Pirelli, we believe this new series still has more to offer. GT4 was also very closely fought, especially Race 2, which brought the weekend to a fitting close. Attention now turns to the first Sprint round of the season, at Brands Hatch.”

Among the other Pirelli-supported series, the new GT3 Revival stood out for the spectacle it provided, captivating the crowd with the timeless elegance of the cars that shaped the recent history of SRO’s GT championships. Race 1, on Sunday morning, ended with a one-two for the Storic and Race Cars Ferrari 458 GT3 Evos, with Jim Pla in car #87 and Benjamin Ricci in #10, ahead of Jonathan Mitchell’s Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. In Race 2, Ricci took victory ahead of Mitchell and the other Ferrari 458 GT3 Evo, car #87, driven by Jean-Luc Beaubelique.

In GT4, Race 1 was won by Enrico Förderer in the SR Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4, while Race 2 went to Luca Cartelle in the CRT Sport Toyota.

"The GT World Challenge Europe enters the 2026 season in a position of great strength," commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Racing Manager at Pirelli. "For Pirelli, this is a particularly significant factor. The series maintains a clear and recognisable sporting structure, but continues to broaden its technical and competitive base, with very high entry numbers, ten manufacturers present and an ever-increasing level of quality. For us, it is important to support this journey not only in the GT3 category, which remains the heart of the championship, but also in the associated series. In this sense, the debut of the GT3 Revival Series adds an interesting element to the 2026 programme: it celebrates twenty years of the GT3 category and further expands the scope of a weekend that, for Pirelli, holds even greater technical and sporting value."

THE 2026 GT SEASON
The 2026 GT World Challenge Europe season features ten rounds, split across five Endurance events and five Sprint events, with the return of Portimão as the final round and the Paul Ricard Prologue placed immediately before the championship opener. The sporting structure remains unchanged, with GT3 cars managed via Balance of Performance and four classes: Pro, Gold, Silver and Bronze. In terms of numbers, the Sprint Cup boasts 45 cars, while the Endurance Cup starts with 60, featuring ten manufacturers: Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche. Among the key technical innovations are the debut of the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 and the arrival of updated versions of the Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO, Ford Mustang GT3 EVO and Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO. On the sporting front, notable new entries include Verstappen Racing joining with Mercedes-AMG, razoon – more than racing's first full-season programme with Porsche, and Lilou Wadoux's move to the Pro class with AF Corse, becoming the first woman to drive for a manufacturer team. Over the course of the season, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is expected to draw a record grid of 70 cars. The Paul Ricard programme also includes the debut of the GT3 Revival Series, a celebratory series marking twenty years of the GT3 category, also equipped by Pirelli.

P ZERO DHG: WIDER WORKING RANGE AND GREATER VERSATILITY
For the 2026 season, Pirelli's reference GT racing range remains that introduced last year: the P Zero DHG for dry conditions and the Cinturato WHB for wet conditions. The DHG, developed for GT2, GT3 and GT4 cars, ensures a wider working range, faster warm-up and greater consistency of car balance over long distances. In the versions intended for GT2 and GT4, it also features an optimised structure, profile and construction to deliver a more uniform footprint across all track conditions.

THE CINTURATO WHB WET TYRE
The Cinturato WHB, standard for all major GT classes in leading competitions, features a stiffer tread pattern and innovative materials that improve footprint, grip, low-temperature warm-up, sensitivity to aquaplaning and the usable window during racing. Stability in transition conditions from wet to dry remains another of its strengths, benefiting drivability and consistent performance.

The season began in January with the Winter Series in Spain and Portugal and will conclude only in November with the Macau Grand Prix. This is the timeframe of Pirelli’s 2026 commitment, as the company once again confirms itself as the tyre manufacturer most extensively involved in global motorsport, particularly in championships dedicated to Gran Turismo cars.

In total, the calendar comprises more than 400 races across over 70 non-Formula 1 championships, staged in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania.

This year’s commitment in the GT categories expands further with the addition of new championships, including the prestigious Carrera Cup North America. The season will reach some of its peaks at the 24 Hours of Spa and the Nürburgring, the eight DTM events, the Macau Grand Prix and the Suzuka 1000 Kilometres. These flagship rounds, distinguished by their prestige and the high number of entries, are complemented by all GT World Challenge championships in Europe, America, Asia and Australia, national and international GT4 series, the GT2 European Series, the Ferrari Challenge, the McLaren Trophy and the Trans Am Series.

The long and intense season, which will involve more than 200 technicians, engineers and support staff across five continents, gets under way at Bathurst with the 12 Hour race. Over the weekend of 12–15 February, 35 cars will take to the track — a record entry for the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.

As usual, the Australian event stands out as one of the most demanding of the entire season, owing to the characteristics of the circuit and its abrasive surface, both particularly challenging for tyres.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager:

“Every season brings new challenges, and the one that has just begun is no exception: we have a new premier championship in North America alongside Porsche and a renewed commitment with the DTM. To tackle such a busy calendar, often across widely separated geographies, we can rely on experience that grows year by year and on a strong, highly motivated team — both centrally and through our local operations — which continues to improve rapidly in terms of personnel quality and the level of service delivered to teams.

We can also count on well-established collaborative relationships and partnerships with federations, promoters, teams, drivers and car manufacturers, built up over time, as well as on products that have demonstrated versatility and reliability on every circuit and in all conditions. This is also thanks to a solid development base for Balance of Performance systems, such as that of SRO, which ensures close and spectacular racing.”

TYRES FOR BATHURST
On the Australian track, as in all GT series supported by Pirelli, the protagonists will be the P Zero DHG slick tyres and, in the event of rain, the Cinturato WHA wet tyres. Both slick and wet compounds confirm last season’s product range, during which they demonstrated outstanding levels of reliability and adaptability in all conditions, on every circuit and across all race formats.

In particular, the P Zero DHG range — available in various sizes to suit all GT classes — features innovative materials that deliver greater consistency in car balance over long distances. Their structure, optimised in both profile and construction, ensures a more 

• Pirelli will support Porsche Carrera Cup North America for its sixth season
• The tire helps to launch a new era in Porsche Carrera Cup North America alongside a new Porsche 911 Cup car based on the latest 992.2 generation
• Tire complements the Pirelli P Zero R and Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS for Porsche 911 GT3 road car 

Pirelli  will serve as the official tire supplier of Porsche Carrera Cup North America. The Pirelli P Zero tire on each Porsche 911 Cup car highlights the technological connection between track performance and road-going excellence. Both the tire and the car will make their first joint appearance together at the series-wide test at Sebring International Raceway in mid-February.

Carson, Calif. Porsche Carrera Cup North America will race on Pirelli tires through a multi-year agreement, marking the first time in the six-year history of Porsche Carrera Cup North America that the championship will utilize the brand on track.

The agreement follows a recent announcement that Pirelli has developed the P Zero R and the P Zero Trofeo RS in bespoke fitments for the road-going Porsche 911 GT3 to showcase how race-inspired technology translates direcly into undeniable on-road capability.

Porsche Carrera Cup North America will use the P Zero DHG tire, which debuted across all Pirelli-served GT championships worldwide in 2025.

“Porsche and Pirelli share a deep motorsport heritage and a commitment to innovation that carries from the track to the road,” Volker Holzmeyer, PMNA President and CEO, said. “We’re excited to welcome Pirelli to our premier Porsche One-Make series as we usher in a new era with the 911 Cup and new Pirelli tires beginning in 2026.”

The new Pirelli P Zero tire features the Forest Stewardship Council™ logo, which demonstrates that all FSC™-certified natural rubber in the tire originates from cultivation areas managed to preserve biodiversity and benefit the people who live and work in those areas. The rigorous FSC™ certification process ensures that all certified material is kept separate from non-certified material throughout the entire supply chain, from production sites to tire manufacturer.

Should the Porsche Carrera Cup North America field need to run on a wet tire, it will rely on the Pirelli Cinturato WHB, the standard wet-weather tire for all GT classes since 2025.

“Pirelli is thrilled to partner with Porsche Motorsport North America as the tire supplier for the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, adding to our extensive portfolio of top-level championships supported worldwide,” Claudio Zanardo, President and CEO of Pirelli North America said.  “This collaboration demonstrates Pirelli’s dedication to performance and innovation, bringing race-proven technology from the track to the road. Just as Porsche vehicles set the standard for driving excellence, our P Zero tires define precision, handling, and performance in both competition and everyday driving.

With motorsport rapidly expanding across North America, attracting more fans and creating new opportunities to showcase high-performance engineering, we are excited to strengthen our presence and support this momentum. Taking on this challenge alongside Porsche, its teams, drivers, and the iconic 911 Cup cars is an opportunity for continuous innovation, collaboration, and growth throughout the season.”

The 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup North America season represents a new era for the championship, which also debuts the new Porsche 911 Cup car this season. The type 992.2 911 Cup car builds on a long history of successful single-make racing with improvements to raceability and handling highlighting the new car ahead of its debut. The 992.2 Porsche 911 Cup car will race in just four single-make championships in 2026; Porsche Carrera Cup North America, Porsche Carrera Cup Germany, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.

The 2026 season officially begins with at Sebring International Raceway alongside the IMSA WeatherTech Championship’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, March 18-20 in Sebring, Florida.

About Porsche Cars North America, Inc. | One Porsche Drive, Atlanta, GA 30354 USA

Established in 1984, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is the exclusive U.S. importer of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and Taycan. The Porsche Car Configurator can be used by anyone to customize and pre-order any vehicle in that lineup at any time. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1998, PCNA is home to the first Porsche Experience Center in North America, which features two module-based 1.6 mile driver development tracks, a business center and Restaurant 356. The campus is also home to the U.S. headquarters of Porsche Classic. The company operates a second Porsche Experience Center near Los Angeles. That complex features a driver development track with eight educational modules totaling 4.1 miles, a business center, Restaurant 917 and the headquarters of Porsche Motorsport North America. PCNA supports 203 independently owned and operated Porsche Centers in the U.S., four Porsche studios and five satellite stores in the U.S., including supplying parts, service, marketing, and training. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the Porsche brand's 75-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. PCNA is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date.

Photos and video footage are available to accredited journalists on the Porsche Press Database and on the Porsche Cars North America Newsroom.

About Pirelli US

In 2002 Pirelli opened its first manufacturing plant in the United States in Rome, Georgia. The plant covers an area of 400,000 m2 and employs approximately 300 highly skilled workers and administrative personnel. Furthermore, Pirelli has offices in New York, Detroit and Atlanta, warehouses and a sales team in locations across the US.

Rome hosts one of Pirelli’s twelve Research and Development centers worldwide, working in synergy with the R&D headquarters in Milan. Leveraging the highly automated Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS), the facility specializes in the production of ultra-high-performance tires.

In 2021, the Rome facility became the first tire factory in the world to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for sustainably sourced natural rubber and rayon, confirming benefits to biodiversity and local workers and communities.

Rome’s site is a strategic location for Pirelli, since a US presence allows the company to respond quickly and flexibly to customers with local production of high and ultra–high performance tires.

FSC™N003618

Every race featured wheel-to-wheel battles right up to the final lap, as well as multiple brushes with the barriers that kept the crowds packed along the Guia Circuit fully engaged. In Formula Regional, Boya emerged victorious after a fierce duel with pole-sitter Freddie Slater, eventually taking the lead only when the Briton hit the wall in an attempt to reclaim first place. Completing the Formula Regional podium were Enzo Deligny and Théophile Naël, who were locked in a constant fight of their own.

In the GT3 race, Fuoco — winner of Saturday’s qualifying race and recipient of the traditional Pirelli Award — never relinquished the lead, while behind him the battle for second intensified between Raffaele Marciello’s BMW M4, which finished runner-up, and Laurin Heinrich’s Porsche in third.

In F4, young Emanuele Olivieri — also the winner of the previous day’s qualifying race — secured second place, defending to the very end from the attacks of Rayan Caretti.

MATTEO BRAGA, PIRELLI CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER
“As always, it was an intense weekend in Macau, during which we supported several categories, all marked by extremely high levels of competitiveness. The various products supplied once again proved their reliability and adaptability on a circuit that remains one of the most demanding of the entire season. This edition, besides offering us valuable technical insights for the future, was also an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with the promoter and local authorities, particularly with the Macau Grand Prix Museum, to which we donated — as we did last year — the special tyre featuring the dragon design, a symbol of power, prosperity and heritage in Chinese culture. This tyre will join the Pirelli display area, testifying to a bond with an event that, for us, goes far beyond the role of supplier and technical partner.”

THE TYRES
The event’s highest-performance cars were fitted with P Zero tyres in their various specifications for each category, while the Cinturato wet tyres stayed in the garage thanks to consistently dry conditions. The GT3 cars competing in the FIA GT World Cup and the GT4 entries in the Greater Bay Area GT Cup ran on P Zero DHG; Formula Regional single-seaters used the P Zero DMC; and the F4 field raced on P Zero DMA.

Supporting teams and drivers throughout the weekend was a group of more than 40 Pirelli technicians, engineers and staff — from both the international Motorsport structure and the Chinese organisation — providing continuous assistance from start to finish.

After more than two hours under red flag conditions from the halfway mark due to torrential rain, followed by a further two hours under full course yellow, Kelvin van der Linde, driving the Team WRT BMW M4 GT3, won the race – which finished at 8:20 p.m. local time – and secured the season title at the end of a contest marked by interruptions and great patience.

The newly crowned champion, sharing the car with Valentino Rossi, making his debut in the Indianapolis 8 Hour, and Charles Weert, crossed the line ahead of the GMR Mercedes-AMG and the BMW M4 GT3 of his team-mate and title rival Raffaele Marciello, partnered by Augusto Farfus and Al Faisal Al Zubair.

The two title-contending crews started from second and third on the grid, but in reversed order, with Marciello’s BMW lining up immediately behind the Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG, which claimed pole position following a penalty imposed on the Random Vandals Racing BMW that had topped Friday’s pole shootout.

“The heavy rain made the race more challenging but no less exciting,” said Matteo Braga, Pirelli’s Circuit Activity Manager. “The changing weather – from the morning heat to the evening cold and rain – put both our P Zero DHG slicks and Cinturato WHB wet tyres to the test, delivering consistency and reliability in both cases. With Indianapolis, and with the GT World Challenge Asia race in Beijing, held for the first time ever on a street circuit, another successful season alongside SRO across all continents comes to a close – a season during which we have further enriched our data bank and strengthened the relationship of mutual trust with the teams.”

The Indianapolis event also marked the final round of the GT World Challenge America, supported by races from GT4 America, GT America, and TC America, all supplied by Pirelli.

The Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS, scheduled for 16-18 October, will conclude the 2025 Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) season – the championship uniting the most prestigious GT3 competitions across America, Asia, Australia, and Europe, supplied by Pirelli.

Following rounds at Bathurst, the Nürburgring, Spa, and Suzuka, the Brickyard will host the decisive final event of the year, crowning the overall champions from a 27-car international GT3 field – the largest entry for an IGTC event in America since 2021.

The drivers' title fight is a BMW affair, with WRT teammates Kelvin van der Linde and Raffaele Marciello separated by just a handful of points and fielded in two different BMW M4 GT3s.

Joining Van der Linde in the #46 BMW will be Valentino Rossi, making his Indianapolis 8 Hour debut, alongside Charles Weerts – with whom the South African driver just secured the GT World Challenge Europe drivers' title last weekend in Barcelona.

The second factory BMW-WRT entry will feature Marciello, Augusto Farfus, and Al Faisal Al Zubair. With BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche eligible for manufacturers' points, the American race will also decide the manufacturers' championship.

The IGTC finale follows September's Suzuka 1000km, dominated by Van der Linde, Marciello, and Weerts in the WRT BMW. This result propelled the South African to the top of the standings, five points clear of his Swiss teammate. In addition to the Intercontinental race, the Indianapolis weekend will feature rounds of GT World Challenge America, GT4 America, GT America, and TC America – all running on Pirelli tyres.

"The Intercontinental GT Challenge season finale at Indianapolis promises high adrenaline, consistent with a season that has delivered relentless excitement," commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. "Following Suzuka, the Brickyard will provide an ideal proving ground for the new P Zero DHG and Cinturato WHB tyres, combining performance, reliability, and a focus on sustainability."

TYRES FOR THE 8 HOUR
All entered cars will be equipped with the new P Zero DHG tyres, which debuted this year across all GT3 categories. Replacing the previous DHF model, they have established themselves as the benchmark for versatility, reliability and performance in all conditions. Key innovations of DHG concern materials. Notably, the DHG features the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC™)[1] logo, certifying that all natural rubber in the tyres[2]  originates from plantations managed to preserve biodiversity and benefit local communities.

In wet conditions, teams will have the Cinturato WHB at their disposal. This year, it also contains FSC®-certified natural rubber like the dry tyres and features a stiffer carcass with a revised tread pattern compared to its predecessor, the WHA. These characteristics are enabled by innovative materials. The new compounds have improved the contact patch, optimising grip and warm-up in low temperatures. Stability in transitioning conditions remains uncompromised, and aquaplaning resistance has been enhanced. Finally, the operational window during races has been broadened.

[1] Pirelli tyres (FSC™ N003618) are FSC™ - certified as MIX Natural Rubber. This shows that they are manufactured from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber, conforming with FSC™ ADVICE-40-004-15.

[2] the equivalent of 17 percent of the total weight of the tyre

- New Pirelli's tailor-made tyres for the 2026 DTM

- ADAC GT Masters also continues to rely on Pirelli tyres

Pirelli will remain the exclusive tyre partner of the DTM. The Italian tyre manufacturer - which is also currently the sole tyre supplier for F1 and, from 2027 onwards, for MotoGP - won the contract in a transparent and non-discriminatory tendering process. Starting in the 2026 season, Pirelli will contribute its motorsport expertise even more extensively and supply the DTM with tyres designed and developed exclusively for the series.

From next year, DTM tyres will be "Made in Germany", developed and produced at the technology hub in Breuberg in Hesse.

But Pirelli is not only intensifying its involvement in the DTM on a technical level. By integrating the series more closely into its own sales and marketing activities and on international digital channels, the tyre manufacturer is ensuring significantly higher visibility for the DTM.

"The DTM is the GT and touring car series with the highest performance density worldwide and places special demands on tyres. We are responding to this with Pirelli's tailor-made tyres. The new tyre for the DTM also ensures fair competition and is an effective means of enforcing testing restrictions in the series. The introduction of the exclusive tyre is an important step for the development of the DTM. We are delighted to be taking this step together with Pirelli," says ADAC Motorsport Director Thomas Voss.

“The ADAC’s decision underscores the high quality of our tyres and the excellent work of our team. The DTM can continue to rely on top tyre performance and dependable support at the track. The tyre production in Germany is certainly a big asset for the series,” commented Mario Isola, Director of Pirelli Motorsport. "Pirelli and the DTM will continue on their shared path, confirming the success of the partnership that began in 2023. This is a source of great pride for us and, at the same time, a responsibility. We will continue to provide our utmost support to one of the world's most prestigious and professional championships with bespoke technological solutions. This partnership represents a significant commitment, but also a valuable opportunity for further growth for our team."

The partnership includes the development of an exclusive tyre line for the DTM, characterised by innovative processes and materials designed to meet the specific race format and the growing competitiveness of the series. These new tyres, which will be introduced from the next season, will integrate the latest RFID technology for tracking. They will be manufactured at Pirelli's Breuberg plant in Hessen, one of the most advanced among the Group's 18 production sites worldwide. The facility boasts a state-of-the-art R&D department, which works in direct connection with the company's headquarters and other global research centers.

In addition to the DTM, Pirelli will also be supplying tyres to the ADAC GT Masters in the coming years.

The product lines for the GT Masters will follow their own independent development path, maintaining continuity with the worldwide GT platform. The ADAC GT Masters will continue to use the P Zero DHG tyre generation introduced for the 2025 season. Pirelli has been the tyre partner of the ADAC GT Masters since 2015.

Finishing behind the WRT BMW was the Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) driven by Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Patrick Pilet, which in turn preceded the Johor Motorsports JMR Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3 R of Alexander Sims, Nicky Catsburg, and Scott McLaughlin.

While the lead of the race was never in doubt, the crowds filling the grandstands were still treated to overtakes, twists of fate, and incidents in a race that – particularly in its second half – was tight and fiercely contested, slowed on multiple occasions by the deployment of the safety car.

Qualifying had followed a similar pattern: dominated by the Van der Linde-Marciello-Weerts trio, but marked by several incidents, including two red flags, and variable track conditions, which changed repeatedly from wet to dry due to frequent but short showers. The constant changes meant drivers could only gather limited reference data for the race.

"The return to the calendar of a historic and prestigious race like the Suzuka 1000 Km could not have gone better, with great spectacle and excellent organisation," commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. "As for us, we are very satisfied with the performance of the P Zero DHG which, even on a track that is never kind to tyres, once again demonstrated not only great consistency but also excellent durability, contributing to the spectacle of the race. We now turn our attention to Spain for the final two races of the GTWC Europe in Valencia and Barcelona, and to Indianapolis where the final round of the IGTC will be celebrated."

In the Japan Cup GT3 category, a rapidly growing series also supported by Pirelli, Race 1 was won by Akita and Takashi Kobayashi in the Team Upgarage Ferrari 296, while Race 2 victory went to the duo of Yorikatsu Tsujiko and Kei Cozzoli in the Ponos Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. In GT4, meanwhile, Race 1 was won by Yoshitomo Makino and Takeshi Suehiro in a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, while Race 2 saw the success of Haridarma Manoppo and Seita Nonaka in a Toyota GR Supra GT4.

Over 30 cars will compete on the iconic 5.8-kilometre circuit in Mie Prefecture, which they will navigate for 170 laps. However, all eyes will be on the BMWs of Augusto Farfus and Kelvin van der Linde. United under the same WRT team, they are separated by just two points in the standings in their fight for the seasonal victory, with only the Indianapolis race remaining after Suzuka.

The major challenges of the Suzuka 1000 km are inherent in the track's unique figure-of-eight layout. With both clockwise and anti-clockwise sections, it tests a car's balance and both sides of the tyres equally. Furthermore, the narrow track combines technical, twisty sections with high-speed sweeps, which together subject the tyres to continuous stress. Compounding the situation are the typically high temperatures forecast for the 14th September weekend, as well as the variable weather conditions characterised by frequent downpours.

“The return of the Suzuka 1000 km to the calendar after a five-year absence could not have happened under better auspices for the spectacle,” said Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. “Not only will we witness a battle that could be decisive for the Intercontinental GT Challenge title, but we will also have the chance to observe the local teams and drivers in both the main race and the Japan Cup, who have shown significant and consistent growth in recent years. The characteristics of the circuit and the race format require a particularly careful tyre management strategy.”

THE TYRES FOR THE 1000 KM
All cars entered in the IGTC and the Japan Cup will have access to the new P Zero DHG tyres, which made their debut this year across all GT categories and championships, including GTWC Asia and the Japan Cup itself. The new P Zero succeeds and shares the principal characteristics of the DHF. Over its three years of service, the DHF was widely praised by teams and drivers for its versatility and reliability in all conditions, and for providing a solid foundation for the development of the SRO's Balance of Performance (BoP) system.

The main innovations of the new P Zero, which equips the premier GT class, concern the materials. The entire range for GT cars carries the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC™)¹ logo. This indicates that all the natural rubber used in the tyres² comes from plantations that are managed to ensure biodiversity, as well as benefiting the people who live and work in these areas. This stringent FSC™ certification process ensures that all certified material is kept separate from that which is not certified throughout the supply chain from the plantation to the tyre manufacturer.

<sup>1. Pirelli tyres (FSC™N003618) are FSC™-certified as MIX Natural Rubber. This shows that they are manufactured from a combination of natural and synthetic rubber, conforming with FSC™ ADVICE-40-004-15.
2. The equivalent of 17 percent of the total weight of the tyre</sup>
 

The circuit itself stands as one of the most technical and demanding of the season, featuring 17 corners (nine right-handers) across its 4.411-kilometre layout. Its combination of high-speed straights, sweeping bends, and tight chicanes places relentless demands on tyre performance. 

"After the scorching test at Misano two weeks ago, we can confidently say the P Zero DHG tyres have faced every racing challenge expected in their debut season," explains Matteo Braga, Pirelli’s Racing Circuit Manager. "At Magny-Cours, the tyres will need to deliver consistent grip – even in cooler temperatures – on a surface that is naturally low in adherence. They must also provide stability under braking and corner entry. I expect two tense, hard-fought races, as we’ve seen all season."

Among the main support races at the event will be the Championnat de France FFSA GT 4, for which Pirelli is the exclusive tyre supplier.

As in the Endurance Cup, the Sprint Cup and other Pirelli-supported series at Magny-Cours will once again feature the P Zero DHG tyres, tailored in different specifications to suit all GT classes. The key innovations of the new P Zero, fitted to GT3 cars, include advanced materials that ensure greater consistency in long-run car balance. Should rain intervene, teams will rely on the Cinturato WHB wet-weather compound.

Race 2 on Sunday afternoon was no less dramatic, interrupted on lap seven due to a multi-car collision and restarted only after a two-and-a-half-hour delay. In this case, victory went to the Garage 59 McLaren 720S, driven by Benjamin Goethe and Marvin Kirchhöfer, who had started from pole position and managed to fend off the Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel, as well as the Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) of Patric Niederhauser and Sven Müller.

Matteo Braga, Pirelli's Racing Circuit Manager – who was tasked with presenting the GT3 crews with their trophies over the weekend – remarked: “The new P Zero tyres handled the heat test with confidence – the only remaining test, at least in race conditions. With ambient temperatures exceeding 30 degrees and track temperatures approaching 50, the tyres lived up to expectations in terms of performance, durability, and reliability. We'll get definitive confirmation at Magny-Cours, where conditions could be similar. In the meantime, we've gathered a wealth of data and were pleased to receive public praise from Valentino Rossi for our work. Our congratulations to him on yet another career victory.”

As for the other Pirelli-equipped categories, the GT4 class saw a double win for Benjamin Lariche and Robert Consani, who claimed both Race 1 and Race 2 at the wheel of the Speedcar team's Audi R8 LMS.

In GT2, it was also a double victory for the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, though with two different driver pairings and teams. Saturday’s sprint race was won by Shota Abkhazava and Egor Orudzhev of ART-Line, while on Sunday morning the Italian duo Diego Locanto and Luca Segú of DL Racing crossed the finish line first.

In total, eight different brands made it onto the podium over the course of the weekend: four on the top step (BMW, McLaren, Audi, and Lamborghini) and four on the lower steps – namely Ferrari (GT3), Mercedes (GT3, GT4, and GT2), Maserati (GT2), and Porsche (GT3).

“In what is a long season, Misano is one of our favourite races, because it attracts a big crowd and the track itself presents a real challenge,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager, Pirelli. “The P Zero DHG is making its debut at this track and it will have plenty to do due to the heavy braking zones for the 16 corners. Some of these turns put greater stress on the tyres as drivers try and maintain as high a speed as possible, while the load constantly shifts between the rear and front axles as the drivers are constantly braking and then accelerating. This weekend, the DHG tyres are likely to experience the highest temperatures they have encountered so far, and that is a factor not to be underestimated.”

As is the case in the endurance races, here too in the Sprint Cup and the other Pirelli-supported series at Misano, namely the GT2 European Series and the GT4 European Series, cars will run the P Zero DHG, available in various sizes to suit all the GT classes. The main innovations of these new P Zero tyres fitted to the GT3 cars, concern the materials which provide greater consistency and car balance over long distances. If it should rain, the crews will be able to count on the Cinturato WHB tyres.

Despite starting 12th on the grid, the Lamborghini steadily asserted its dominance in the final hours, though its rivals, particularly the Porsche, which finished just 8.7 seconds behind, kept the pressure on until the chequered flag.

Over the 24 hours, marked by unseasonably hot and dry conditions for the Ardennes, six different manufacturers - BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes, and Porsche - all led the race at some point.

MATTEO BRAGA, PIRELLI CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER
"The P Zero DHG tyres delivered both performance and reliability, supporting an intensely competitive race from start to finish. A diverse field of drivers and cars, all operating at the highest level, showcased the versatility of our product, even in its new evolution, making its debut this year. Ultimately, victory went to those who best interpreted the closing conditions, making use of data from earlier sessions to optimise tyre performance, particularly in today’s scorching afternoon temperatures. This strategic approach was key to securing a winning race pace."

In the GT2 European Series and GT4 European Series, also supplied by Pirelli, Race 1 wins went to Stefan Rosina’s Lamborghini (Team Micanek) and Paul Petit’s Audi (Speedcar), while Race 2 saw another victory for Micanek’s Lamborghini, this time driven by Bonek Formanek, and Berkay Busler’s BMW (Team Borusan).

Over the Spa weekend, Pirelli also equipped cars competing in the McLaren Trophy Europe, where Britain’s Sam Neary triumphed in Race 1 and Sweden’s Erik Behrens took victory in Race 2.

As usual, Pirelli takes over the Spa circuit, deploying enough personnel and equipment to ensure the necessary level of support for the record 76 cars entered in the 77^th edition of the Belgian classic.

The logistical and organisational effort instituted by Pirelli, the sole supplier not only for the 24 hours, but also for the main support events, is built around a core team of 140 at the track, made up of technicians, engineers and other staff. All key functions within the company are represented, coming not just from the Milan headquarters, but also from other R&D and Motorsport centres, from four continents. Personnel can count on monitoring and analysis systems that make use of cutting-edge technologies and Pirelli’s experience in over 350 races in which it is involved worldwide.

Such a significant commitment, which has few equals in international motorsport, is required because of the scale of the event. In addition to the teams competing in the 24 Hour, in both the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the Intercontinental GT Challenge, there are also 44 cars competing in the GT4 European Series, and more than 30 crews across the GT2 European Series and the McLaren Trophy. These record numbers reaffirm the growing importance of the Spa 24 Hours in privateer racing worldwide.

MATTEO BRAGA, HEAD OF CIRCUIT ACTIVITY PIRELLI
“While last week's 24 Hours of Nürburgring was both demanding and deeply satisfying given the results we achieved, the Spa-Francorchamps race will be even more challenging. For us, it’s like an annual motorsport masters in which we play our part. There are few events in the world that combine technical and competitive challenges with a highly professional atmosphere and environment, where the best of world motorsport come together. From a tyre perspective, the 24 Hours is traditionally a tough test: the tyres are pushed to their limit, thermically and mechanically and managing them correctly, by choosing the right parameters, can make the difference come the end of the race. Past editions have proved that the win goes to those who are consistent and can strike the right balance between pace and speed without taking unnecessary risks.”

THE TYRES
Cars in all categories supported by Pirelli will run the P Zero DHG, produced in several sizes to suit all the GT classes and featuring the use of innovative materials that provide more consistent car balance over long distances. Compared to the previous generation, the DHG for the GT2 and GT4 cars, apart from the new materials also used for the GT3 line, also features a new structure, with optimised profile and construction, to ensure a more consistent contact patch on all types of surface for all cars,
In wet weather, drivers in all GT classes can count on the Cinturato WHB. Compared to the previous generation, it features a stiffer tread and a redesigned pattern, characteristics made possible by the use of innovative materials, which have helped improve the contact patch, optimising grip and warm-up at low temperatures.

THE REGULATIONS
Cars entered in the 24 Hours can use a maximum of 30 sets of dry tyres over the course of the entire race weekend, to which one further set is added for those taking part in the Super Pole. However, this set cannot be used in the race itself. There is no limit on the number of wet weather tyres that can be used.

The dominance of the top two, both seasoned hill climb experts, was evident from qualifying, where they set the pace, finishing in the same order as the race and leaving their rivals several seconds behind on the challenging 19.93-kilometre course, featuring 156 turns and a 1,440-metre elevation change.

"We know Simone very well and were quite confident about how he would perform. Congratulations also to Diego, who reaffirms the supremacy of the Italian school, as well as to their closest rivals. Races like these demand experience, nerves of steel, and a meticulously fine-tuned car set-up, to which our technicians contributed by optimising tyre-car interaction. The rest was down to the Hill Climb soft version of our P Zero," commented Terenzio Testoni, Rally Activity Manager and Hill Climb Racing Coordinator.

"This is our second year working with Ford in this type of racing, and we didn’t have to wait long to see results. In 2023, we equipped the Ford Supervan 4.2, which shattered the Open class record, while last year, we supplied tyres for another exceptional vehicle, the Ford F-150 Lightning Super Truck, which won its category. Now, we’ve done it again with an even more prestigious result and an equally extraordinary car, albeit of a different type, proving the versatility of our product across diverse tracks and vehicles," affirmed Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager, in charge of the collaboration with Ford.

This year’s one-two finish adds to Pirelli’s already illustrious record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. In the previous edition, Pirelli tyres propelled the F-150, driven by France’s Dumas, to a class win, while in 2019, the overall victory went to Robin Shute in the Honda turbo-powered Wolf GB08 prototype. That same year, P Zero tyres led the Bentley Continental GT to victory and a production car class record, while in 2018, they supported the Bentley Bentayga in setting a new benchmark for SUVs. That record was later broken in 2022 by the Pirelli P Zero-equipped Lamborghini Urus Performante.

It was an historic result for the Italian team run by Giuliano Bottazzi, and the drivers, Bastian Buus, Matteo Cairoli, Loek Hartog and Joel Sturm, who conquered the “Green Hell” with consistent pace and unwavering determination. Dinamic’s Porsche gradually made its way up the order, getting to seventh place on Sunday morning, then up to fourth and finally securing third place in the final two hours of racing.

“Congratulations to the Dinamic team, but I’d also say to ourselves,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli. “With them and the Porsche engineers, we’ve done a great job over these four years working together. We approached what is a fairly new race for us, with humility and dedication, gradually accumulating experience over the years, lap after lap. Having come close to a strong result a few times, we have finally reaped the reward for all our work. This also confirms the quality of the P Zero tyres, which offer performance and reliability, even on such a demanding track and with higher than usual temperatures.”

Worth noting among the other ten Pirelli-equipped cars in this race, a win in the SP8T category for the Dörr team’s McLaren Artura Trophy Evo.

The event takes place on Sunday 22 June in Colorado, where the Pirelli engineers will be supporting two elite drivers, Romain Dumas at the wheel of the electric Mustang competing in the Pikes Peak Open category and Simone Faggioli, multiple Italian and European hill-climb champion at the wheel of the Norma M20 FC, in the Unlimited category, the event’s blue riband class. They will both be tackling the famous “Race to the Clouds” on the 19.93 km course with its 156 corners and an elevation gain of 1,440 metres, from 2,862 at the start to 4,302 metres at the finish line.

“For this type of event, our support focusses on two crucial aspects: working with the team engineers to prepare the car as well as possible and, obviously, to provide a reliable, high-performance product,” explain Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager and in charge of the collaboration with Ford and Terenzio Testoni, Rally Activity Manager, responsible for Hillclimb events. “The characteristics of our racing P Zero tyres, much appreciated by the teams and drivers for the grip, consistency and driving precision they provide, are essential when working with exceptionally powerful cars like these, that have to push on constantly uphill, dealing with a variable track surface and demanding corners. It’s going to be a spectacular race.”

In recent years, Pirelli has won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb several times. Last year, Pirelli equipped the F-150 Lightning Super Truck, also driven by Frenchman Dumas, while in 2019 the overall win went to Robin Shute at the wheel of the Honda turbo-powered Wolf GB08. That same year, P Zero tyres were also fitted to the Bentley Continental GT which took the win and set a record in the production car category. In 2018, the Italian company supported the Bentley Bentayga when it set the record in the SUV category, a record that was broken in 2022 by the Lamborghini Urus Performante, also fitted with Pirelli P Zero tyres.

Apart from the racing prototype, the roadgoing version of the Mustang MachE sits on Pirelli P Zero, developed with Elect technology for electric and hybrid vehicles, whose performance is strongly influenced by their tyres.

Pirelli will play a leading role in both events, taking on an unprecedented production, logistic and organisational challenge. Over 250 engineering and support staff will be on hand to provide the highest level of service to teams and drivers. 

THE PIRELLI TEAMS AT THE NURBURGRING
Pirelli has been the sole supplier at Spa since 2013, but the race format at the Nurburgring also features competition between various tyre manufacturers. For the German 24 Hour race, the Italian company will partner Dinamic Motorsport’s Porsche 911 GT3, Dörr Motorsport’s McLaren Arutra Trophy and the Aston Martin GT4s, as well as supporting the Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantages in both the SP9 and SP10 categories, and the German team’s Hyundai i30N in the VT category.

In fact, Pirelli has recently signed a multi-year agreement with Walkenhorst Motorsport, which sees the German team join the pool of key partners for development work at the Nurburgring-Nordschleife circuit. The agreement strengthens a long-standing partnership crowned by multiple successes. On one hand, Walkenhorst has competed alongside Pirelli in several series where the Milan-based company is the exclusive tire supplier — such as the ADAC GT Masters and the GT World Challenge Europe. On the other, many of the German team’s GT victories have been achieved precisely on Pirelli tyres.

Also running Pirelli tyres will be BSL Racing’s Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS and the Bulldog Racing Mini.

MATTEO BRAGA, RACING ACTIVITY MANAGER PIRELLI:
“These will be two weeks of hard work for all of us, but enjoyable and involving at the same time, as well as an opportunity to share experiences internally. In fact, at the Nurburgring, our central motorsport team will be able to work very closely and effectively with our colleagues from the German motorsport and research and development group. As for Spa, as always, we will be joined by engineers and developers from our motorsport and technology centres from around the world. These two races will deliver a massive amount of very important data, from having our tyres put to the test under the most extreme conditions possible. At the Nurburgring, as is always the case, I expect fierce competition within each category, full of uncertainty and with any outcome possible right to the very end. We are supporting very determined and high quality teams who will definitely have their say.”

THE TYRES
For the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, the GT4 cars will be able to use the standard Pirelli range of tyres from the GT range: the slick P Zero DHG Pirelli and, in the event of rain, the Cinturato WHB Pirelli. The GT3 cars will use a special evolution of the DHG and WHB, developed as per the regulations, for this type of circuit and race.

The DHG, which is new for this season, follows on from the DHF, which over its three years of use was highly regarded by the teams and drivers who appreciated its versatility and reliability. The DHG is a solid foundation for the development of the BoP system put in place by SRO. The new P Zero, available in several sizes to suit all GT classes, features the use of innovative materials that provide more consistent car balance over long distances.

The latest evolution of the Pirelli WHB wet weather tyres has this year become the standard for all GT cars, across all classes in the major events. Compared to the previous generation, this WHB features a redesigned tread pattern, made possible through the use of the latest generation of materials. These new compounds, along with increased tread stiffness, have improved the contact patch, optimising grip and warm-up at low temperatures, without compromising stability during transition from a wet to dry track. The tyre’s resistance to aquaplaning has been improved, widening its race performance window.

As from this year, all dry and wet weather Pirelli tyres for GT cars will carry the Forest Stewardship Council®(FSC®)¹ logo. This certifies that all the natural rubber used in the tyre² comes from plantations managed so as to preserve biodiversity, while also benefiting the people living and working in these areas.
 

^{1 Pirelli tyres (FSC®N003618) are FSC® certified as MIX natural rubber, meaning they are made from a combination of matural and synthetic rubber in accordance with FSC® ADVICE-40-004-15. 
2 This corresponds to approximately 17 percent of the total weight of the tyre.}

Completing the podium were the Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3, driven by Joseph Loake, Marvin Kirchhöfer, and Benjamin Goethe, and the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3, with Mattia Drudi, Nicki Thiim, and Marco Sørensen sharing driving duties.

TIRE STRATEGY PROVES DECISIVE
The numerous early-race interruptions expanded strategic options for teams, leading to varied approaches. Some crews opted to come in early for one of the three mandatory pit stops, while others chose a more conservative strategy, saving tyres for the latter stages of the three-hour race which was held in challengingly high track and ambient temperatures.

"We expected an exciting and demanding weekend, and that’s exactly what we got, with plenty of valuable insights for the upcoming 24 Hours of Spa," commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli Circuit Activity Manager. "As predicted, smart tyre management, made even more complex by the frequent interruptions, was crucial to the race outcome. We’ve gathered extensive data to analyse ahead of the next rounds."

A TRIBUTE TO ANDREA BERTOLINI
One of the weekend’s highlights was the celebration of Ferrari and Maserati legend Andrea Bertolini, who contested his final race. Pirelli honoured the multiple closed-wheel champion with a special commemorative wind tunnel tyre, presented by Braga.

"I can look back on a rich career, and throughout this journey, Pirelli has always been by my side," reflected Bertolini during the ceremony. "Together, we’ve grown and improved year after year. I’ve won many times in my career, and Pirelli played a significant role in those successes."

“It’s definitely going to be an interesting and challenging weekend for everyone,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli. “Not just because of the record number of entries and the ever increasing level of competitiveness in GTWC, but also because of having to make a third obligatory pit stop, but with the same number of tyres available, which will make the final outcome harder to predict and will complicate team strategies. Given the characteristics of the race and the track, careful tyre management will be essential.”

The GT3 cars entered will run the P Zero DHG Pirelli slicks and the Cinturato WHB Pirelli in the case of rain, which at the moment is forecast to fall at some point over the course of the race which takes place on Sunday from 15.00 to 18.00.

These same tyres will also be used by competitors in the Monza weekend’s support race, the McLaren Trophy, for which Pirelli is again the sole supplier.

The first endurance race of the season, had the large crowd enthralled on Saturday night all the way to the end. It many ways, it was a sort of prologue to the 24 Hours of Spa which will take place in early June, because of the weather and track temperature, as well as for the large 59 car entry and the intensity of the battles on track. At the flag, it was the 32 BMW driven by Charles Weerts, Ugo De Wilde and Kevin van der Linde who gradually, lap by lap made its way up the order from eighth on the grid, catching out its opponents to pull off a surprise win. Behind the BMW came two Porsche 911 GT3 R (992): the Rutronik Racing car driven by Sven Müller, Patric Niederhauser and Alessio Picariello and the Schumacher CLRT car in the hands of Ayhancan Güven, Laurin Heinrich and Klaus Bachler. Proving just how competitive is this series, three other marques filled the next few places: Mercedes-AMG of Team Mann-Filter, the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin and the CSA Racing McLaren.

“Watching such close racing is not only a pleasure, it’s also professionally satisfying,” commented Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli. “The weather challenged the teams and drivers as they adapted to a brand-new product in very changeable conditions, going from warm weather on Friday to the cold of Saturday night. I’d say that everyone coped well with the unknowns. As for the DHG, it was tested under extreme conditions and the response to the stresses was such that the teams were able to play for victory at all times during the race.”

On Sunday, the GTW European Series and the GT4 European Series races in which all cars were also running the Pirelli DHG tyres, were equally exciting. In GT2, the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo run by Micanek Motorsport won both Race 1 and Race 2, in the latter on WHB wet weather tyres as the race was run in quite heavy rain. In GT4, Academy Motorsport’s la Ford Mustang GT4 2024 won Race 1. In the afternoon, victory went to Audi R8 LMS di Speedcar in mixed dry and wet track conditions, competitors opting for the DHG slicks. 
 

PIRELLI QUOTE
“Pirelli’s season starts with a demanding weekend from a logistics and organisational point of view, but we’re not complaining as it confirms just how vibrant are the SRO GT series,” commented Matteo Braga, Pirelli’s Circuit Activity Manager. “When it comes to our product, we are curious to see how the new DHG performs in such a tough race, after it delivered very positive results in the test, much appreciated by the teams.”

P ZERO DHG: A WIDER WORKING RANGE AND GREATER VERSATILITY
The opening round of the season marks the race debut of the new P Zero DHG tyres, which completes the revision of the entire GT range. The DHG is the successor to the DHF, which over its three years of use drew plaudits from the teams and drivers because of its versatility and reliability in all conditions and provided a solid foundation for the BoP system developed by SRO.
The new P Zero comes in various sizes to suit all the GT classes. The main innovations of the new P Zero fitted to the blue riband GT category concern the materials used, which ensure quicker warm-up and more consistency in terms of car balance over long distance. As for the DHG tyres for the GT2 and GT4 cars, apart from having the same new materials as the GT3 range, are different to the previous generation in terms of their carcass, with an optimised profile and construction to ensure a more uniform footprint in all track conditions and for all cars.

THE WET WEATHER CINTURATO WHB 
Introduced in 2024 solely for the GT2 cars and in some championships also for GT3, the latest evolution of Pirelli’s wet weather tyre for this season will be the standard across the board for all GT cars of every class in the main championships this year. The Cinturato WHB, which as from this year uses FSC® certified natural rubber, as do the dry weather tyres, features a new, stiffer tread design than the previous generation, thanks to the use of innovative materials. The new compounds have contributed to improving the footprint, while optimising grip and warm-up at low temperatures. The stability in the transition from wet to dry conditions has not been compromised, nor has its sensitivity to aquaplaning, which has in fact improved. Finally, its operating window in a race has been expanded. 

FSC® CERTIFICATION
This year’s range for GT cars will feature the logo of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®)¹ . This indicates that all the natural rubber used in the tyres² comes from plantations that are managed so as to ensure biodiversity, as well as benefiting the people who live and work in these areas. This stringent FSC® certification process ensures that all certified material is kept separate from that which is not certified throughout the supply chain from the plantation to the tyre manufacturer. 
The extension of this certification to the GT range of tyres confirms Pirelli’s commitment to research into solutions that contribute to progressing motorsport’s path to sustainability, in line with initiatives undertaken by the FIA (International Automobile Federation) and the promoters of the various championships in which it is involved.
For a seventh consecutive year, Pirelli has been confirmed as a world leader in the fight against climate change, securing a place in the 2024 Climate A list produced by the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), an international non-profit organisation that gathers, disseminates and promotes information on environmental matters. Pirelli is the first tyre manufacturer to be awarded three stars from the Environmental Accreditation Programme promoted by the FIA.
 

^{1 The Pirelli tyres (FSC®N003618) are FSC® certified as a natural rubber MIX, which means they are produced with a mixture of natural and synthetic rubber, in compliance with l'FSC® ADVICE-40-004-15.
2 Equal to a share amounting to 17% of the total weight of the tyre.}

In between a January start in Australia and a November finish in Macau, there will be around 450 races, in over 75 championships open to GT cars, taking in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania. These are the highlights of Pirelli’s 2025 GT racing season, once again making the Italian company the busiest tyre manufacturer on the world motorsport scene.

The commitment to GT racing is expanding this year, with the addition of more championships such as the GT Winter Series. Highpoints of the year will include the Spa and Nurburgring 24 Hour races, as well as the Macau GP and the Suzuka 1000 kilometres, which is back on the calendar for 2025. These events stand out because of their prestige and the large number of entries, while alongside these are all the GTWC races in Europe, America, Asia and Australia, the national and international GT4 championships, the European GT2 Championship, the Ferrari Challenge, the McLaren Trophy and the TransAm.

The season which will see over 200 technicians, engineers and other staff, working on five continents, gets underway with the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Bathurst 12 Hours, from 31 January to 2 February.

The Australian event is always one of the toughest on the calendar because of the circuit layout and the characteristics of the track surface which is particularly demanding on tyres.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager: “We have an important season ahead of us, with new events and, most importantly, new products that we will be announcing in the coming weeks. To deal with all these tasks we can count on an exponentially growing level of experience and a strong and motivated team, both at our headquarters and at local level, the latter expanding rapidly in terms of the number of people involved and the quality of the service we provide to the teams. Furthermore, we can rely on great relationships and partnerships with the federations, promoters, teams, drivers and car manufacturers, built up over the years. We can also count on the versatility and reliability of our products at all circuits and in all conditions, thanks also to a solid development base for a BoP, such as in SRO, which ensures closely contested and spectacular racing.”

THE TYRES FOR BATHURST
In action on the Australian track will be the P Zero DHF, which has not undergone any significant changes since last season, when it proved to be up to the demands of the current racing cars. Among the tyre’s principal characteristics are a wide working range and a construction that optimises the balance of the car, with a better connection between the front and rear.

Now in its fifth season, the Winter Series comprises four different types of competition, open to professional and amateur drivers. Pirelli will support the three main events with both tyre supply and on-circuit technical assistance, as it does for all the championships in which it is involved: the GT Winter Series for GT2 and GT3, the GT4 Winter Series and the Formula Winter Series for F4.

There are seven race weekends on the 2025 calendar. The first event will be held at Estoril from the 16th to 19th January, while the last one will take place in Barcelona on the weekend of 14th to 16th March, featuring the 6 Hours race, introduced for the first time this year. Another new round is the 6 Hours of Portimao, scheduled from 31st January to 2nd February.

“Becoming a partner of the Winter Series and supporting a rapidly-growing promoter holds dual strategic importance for us: it fulfils our commitment to the Gran Turismo and F4 series, extending it across the entire year, and also allows us to consolidate our position in the Iberian market,” comments Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager. “Furthermore, this is an important challenge, as we will need to implement the organisational and logistical framework used in major international championships, at local level. On the product side, we are all set, as we can rely on a range of tyres that have been extensively tested and highly commended by teams and drivers, both in GT and single-seater racing.”

For the Gran Turismo cars, Pirelli will supply the latest-generation P Zero DHF tyres which were used on GTWC cars last year, along with the Cinturato wet-weather range in its various iterations . The F4 cars will be fitted with DMA tyres for dry conditions, and the Cinturato WS tyres in the wet.
 

Specifically, Pirelli partnered the teams competing in the challenges for the GT, Touring Car, F4, modern rally, electric road and Ferrari Challenge, not only supplying tyres but also assistance from the P Lunga engineers, in what was one of the most demanding logistical challenges of the season for the Italian company in terms of deployment of vehicles and personnel.

THE DISCIPLINES
Of the 25 gold medals up for grabs, Spain won 6, Germany 3, as did Italy, although the latter picked up fewer medals overall. Here in detail, the winners of the popular races and motorsport categories, all fitted with Pirelli tyres.

Gran Turismo. These cars were fitted with P Zero DHF. IN GT, the win went to the Germans Hubert Haupt and Finn Wiebelhaus at the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG, while Ayhancan Guven won in GT Sprint, having started last, before making the most of the experience gained in the DTM, running P Zero Pirelli tyres and of the sprint race format.

Touring car. Gold went to the Honda Civic of Argentinian Ignacio Montenegro. The P Zero DHHB developed for this type of car ensured great reliability in the mixed surface conditions, allowing all drivers to fight for the podium positions right down to the final corner.

F4. Spain’s Juan Cota Alonso won at the wheel of a Tatuus T-421, fitted with P Zero DMA.

Single Make GT - Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli. The gold medal in this category went to Englishman James Owen, who back in mid-October in Imola was one of the title winners in the Ferrari Challenge Finali Mondiali.

Rally. In the modern rally class, Spain made a clean sweep of it, taking all four gold medals on offer on tarmac and gravel. On tarmac, Alejandro Cachón, who competes on Pirellis also in other rallies, won Rally2 in a Toyota Yaris. In the asphalt class for Rally4 cars, the win went to the Peugeot 208 of Sergi Perez, who also finished first on the loose, while in Rally2, Jose Antonio Suarez won in a Skoda Fabia. In Historic Rally, Italy’s Andrea Zivian in an Audi Quattro fitted with P Lunga-supplied tyres won both on gravel and on tarmac.

The biennial FIA Motorsport Games are preparing to celebrate their third edition on the streets of Valencia and on track at Circuito Ricardo Tormo, with a record number of categories and participants lined up.

This multidisciplinary event, run by the SRO Motorsports Group in collaboration with the FIA, sees drivers competing under their national flags like at the Olympics. The action will feature drivers from the key varieties of four-wheeled motorsport, with a total of 26 different categories, up from 16 at the last event.

Pirelli will be there to support the drivers who have signed up for the most popular and eagerly awaited races, confirming its position as the most in-demand tyre manufacturer in motorsport. To be specific P Lunga will be the exclusive supplier of tyres for the categories relating to GT, Touring Cars, F4 and modern rally. This will involve a level of logistical and technical organisation and a range of resources and personnel that will be among the most demanding of the entire season for the Italian company, which is represented in 350 championships all over the world.

THE DISCIPLINES
Since its inaugural edition at Vallelunga in 2019, the FIA Motorsport Games has expanded, going from six disciplines to 16 in 2022 (won by Italy) and now the 26 that will entertain the crowds over this long weekend in Spain.

Key parts of the programme include the competitions dedicated to Gran Turismo, Touring Cars, F4, Rally2, Rally4 and Historic Rally.

PIRELLI QUOTE
“Our role as the principle supplier of tyres for the 2024 Motorsport Games is a big obligation for us, but also an honour and an opportunity,” said Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager Pirelli and Terenzio Testoni, Rally Activity Manager. “On the one hand it confirms that we are a point of reference in all disciplines for drivers and teams, to whom we supply not just products but also technical assistance. On the other hand it offers a chance to see the various specialised teams from the Pirelli Motorsport Department side-by-side on track, which will give us the chance to accumulate knowledge that crosses the boundaries. The assorted races on the programme promise to be as demanding as the single series and it will be interesting to see some of our finest products all in action together.”

THE PRODUCTS
GT.  At the Motorsport Games the P Zero DHF will supply all the GT cars for which it was originally developed, going on to become the reference point for all the major national and international competitions including the GT World Challenge, DTM and Macau Grand Prix. In case of rain the Cinturato WHA will be available.

Touring cars. The drivers will be using the P Zero DHHB, which was tailor-made for cars in this category.

Racing. The cars will be supplied with the P Zero DMA, which was developed specifically for F4 cars.

Rally. The P Zero for asphalt and the Scorpion for gravel roads will be available for the Rally2 and Rally4 cars in both the hard and soft compounds. To take on wet tarmac, both categories will also be supplied with the Cinturato.

The entire available range of Pirelli tyres was put to the test over the course of the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, which ended ahead of schedule this afternoon and behind the Safety Car, because of terrible weather. In fact, there was only a little over seven hours of actual racing, all of it on Saturday, before the race was red flagged on lap 45. Fog meant the medical helicopter could not fly and visibility was too poor to let the drivers tackle the 25.378 kilometre track, made up of the Nordschleife and GP-Strecke circuits. After several postponements, the race director decided to send the cars off for five formation laps behind the Safety Car early on Sunday afternoon, before then declaring the 24 Hours over after 50 laps.

This year, Pirelli was the official tyre supplier for several cars in six different classes. The changing track conditions, which even varied from sector to sector because of the endless changes to the weather typical of the Eifel region, meant that all types of the Italian company’s tyres were called into use.

The tyres used in the Nürburgring 24 Hours were developed specifically for the various types of car taking part and could deal with an extremely wide range of track conditions, sometimes on the same lap, as is often the case at this track, ensuring safety and speed in line with the other cars in the race.

The Dinamic GT team’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, running in the SP9 (FIA-GT3) category provided proof of the consistent performance of the Pirelli P Zero Hard, Medium and Soft compounds and the Hard and Soft versions of the Cinturato, for heavy rain and drying conditions respectively. Having started from the 12^th row of the grid with a BoP increased by 10kg on Saturday morning, the Italian team’s #54 (PRO) car made up ground on the first day, after an assessment of the strength and locality of the rain, inclined the team and the Pirelli engineers to keep the slicks on until the red flag. The final two stints from youngster Bastian Buus, taking part in his first 24 Hours, closed down the gap to their competitors and, thanks to a sensible approach to the slipperiest sections delivered below average lap times (8’25”175, fastest race lap) and meant the restart was taken from the seventh row. Buus shared driving duties with Marco Holzer, Marvin Diens and the veteran Marco Seefried who has competed in this event 15 times and they maintained 13^th place from which the car restarted the following day.

“It was my first time at the Nürburgring and the experience with Pirelli tyres was definitely a positive one as track conditions changed continuously,” commented Bastian Buus, driver of Porsche 911 GT3 R #54 (Dinamic GT). “I’m happy to have got through my stints without any problems. Like everyone else, I didn’t expect the race to end like this, but over the weekend we learned a lot and found areas where we can improve for the future.”

Despite the length of the track, one of the most difficult aspects of the race for the drivers was dealing with traffic, with over 130 starters in 23 different categories, with several speed differentials. One of the biggest groups was the GT4 class in which Dörr Motorsport had entered two Aston Martin Vantage AMRs fitted with Pirelli P Zero DHF and DMF, the latter being softer for use in lower temperatures and the Cinturato WHB. Thanks to a new tread, the rain tyres saw plenty of use from drivers who appreciated their wide operating range in various degrees of wet conditions. Both the #269 (SP8T class) and the #169 (SP10 class) required repairs but went on to finish fifth and tenth in class (65^th and 81^st overall). The German team also entered a KTM X-BOW GT2 (PRO-AM, #55) in the new SP11 (SRO-GT2) class which finished 31^st overall.

Pirelli also provided the tyres for the winner of the SP3T category, the new John Cooper Works PRO BMW Mini on its world debut. It finished 71^st overall. The #317 car, run by Bulldog Racing used the P Zero and Cinturato tyres in the versions designed for Touring cars. Its sister car, #474 in the VT2 class with front wheel drive also made it to third in class and 78^th overall.

Matteo Braga, Pirelli Motorsport Circuit Activity Manager:

“We witnessed a shortened version of the 24 Hours, with over two thirds of the race lost because of fog, which was very disappointing for the 240 thousand spectators who had flocked to Nürburg for this classic endurance race. What racing there was saw the entire range of tyres be used on a circuit that has no equal anywhere in the world. The tyres proved reliable in all the various scenarios that unfolded on Saturday afternoon, getting all the Pirelli runners to the chequered flag. The variable weather conditions and fluctuating temperatures, combined with the variety of corners on this track, some of them banked, transformed this event into a valuable opportunity to acquire plenty of data which will help us to further improve our motorsport products. Congratulations to Bulldog Racing’s two Minis which both finished on the podium. The Pirelli crew is back at work immediately for the coming races in Germany and the highlight that is the Spa 24 Hours.”

Next up for Pirelli, the third round of the DTM championship and the second of the ADAC GT Masters from 7 to 9 June at Zandvoort, with the Italian company the sole supplier for both these German series. Preparations are also underway for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa from 25 to 30 June in which all 64 GT3 cars entered in the Endurance race and in the support series, the Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli, the GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club and the McLaren Trophy Europe all race on Pirelli tyres. Contestants in the Spa 24 Hours have been able to test at the Belgian track on 21 and 22 May in the Prologue, when the track was both dry and wet. Fastest on that occasion was the Mercedes-AMG #2 entered by the GetSpeed team, driven by Fabian Schiller.

Pirelli will once again this year be taking part in the ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring, the endurance race held over the first two days of June on the longest circuit in the world. It is one of the most important events in the panoply of motorsport and the Italian company is the official tyre supplier to several cars in six different classes, including the blue riband SP9 category (FIA-GT3) from which will emerge the overall winner of the 24 Hour race.

The event is an opportunity for Pirelli to put to the test its entire range of GT and Turismo tyres, designed to suit the characteristics of all the different types of car taking part, ensuring the best possible performance in the variable weather conditions that can be expected at this track, which for this race combines the Nordschleife and the GP-Strecke, with a total distance of 25.378 kilometres.

In the SP9 (FIA-GT3) class, Pirelli is supplying the Porsche 911 GT3 R entered by the Italian Dinamic GT team and crewed by Marco Holzer and Marvin Dienst, Marco Seefried and Bastian Buus. The #54 (PRO) will run the latest generation Hard, Medium and Soft compound Pirelli P Zero and if it rains, it can rely on the Cinturato Hard and Soft, for heavy rain or a drying track respectively.

The Dörr Motorsport team is running Pirelli tyres on three cars. In the SP10 (SRO-GT4) class, they have their number one Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 (#169), driven by Oskar Sandberg, Aaron Wenisch, Michael Funke and Phil Dörr. In the SP8T category another Vantage GT4, the #269, will be crewed by Philippe Charlaix, Frank Weishar, Sven Schädler and Peter Posavc. The team is also competing in the SP11 (SRO-GT2) class, the first time it has featured at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with a KTM X-BOW GT2 (PRO-AM, #55), driven by Christian Gebhardt, Fabian Vettel, Ben Dörr and Max Hofer.

Dörr Motorsport is no stranger to using Pirelli tyres in the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Back in 2014, its McLaren MP4-12C, fitted with the Italian brand’s product and with Kevin Estre at the wheel, set a new lap record for the 24 Hours with an impressive 8’10”921, which was unbeaten until some sections of the original track were updated.

Dörr Motorsport will have a wide range of tyres available, starting with the Pirelli P Zero DHF, which was updated in 2022 and the softest compound P Zero DMF which comes into its own at night, when the track is cooler. If it rains, the new Cinturato WHB, also used in the DTM and ADAC GT Masters will be put to the test. The Cinturato WHB has a new design offering greater rigidity in the tread when compared to its predecessor, which extends its working range when conditions are changing from wet to dry.

The Pirelli P Zero and Cinturato, in a specially produced Touring Car version, will be used by the BMW Mini John Cooper Works (#317) entered by the Bulldog Racing team and driven by Charles Cooper, Markus Fischer, Christoph Kragenings and Sebastian Sauerbrei, as well as the #474 in the VT2 class for 1600 to 2000cc front wheel drive cars, with driving duties shared by Michael Bräutigam, Andreas Hilgers, Sascha Korte e Marco Zabel.

Matteo Braga, Pirelli Motorsport Circuit Activity Manager:

“The Nürburgring 24 Hours is a fantastic test bed for our GT products because it is one of the most difficult and most demanding races in all of motorsport. Its unique characteristics explain why Pirelli often tests it road tyres on the “Green Hell.” Tackling 180 or so medium and low speed corners that make up the track for this event, allows us to gather so much data about our slick and wet weather compounds’ performance, which can be used not only to improve our racing products, but also our road going tyres for everyday use, with their main innovations deriving from the experimentation we carry out in motorsport events.”

The 52^nd edition of the Nürburgring 24 Hours is expected to draw a crowd of 200 thousand. 130 cars are entered in 23 categories with over 450 drivers taking part. The overall winner usually comes from the SP9 and SP-X categories, with 30 cars entered representing eight marques. The race gets underway at 16.00 on Saturday 1 June, preceded by a 45 minute warm-up at 12.40. Qualifying takes place on Thursday 30 and Friday 31 May, divided into four sessions, with the final Top Qualifying at 17.30. (all times CEST).

As from this year, the endurance race is also a round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, along with those at Bathurst, Spa-Francorchamps and Indianapolis. The Nürburg race takes its place in what is already a very busy schedule of SRO-organised championships for which Pirelli is an official partner, as well as working with ADAC as the official supplier to DTM and GT Masters.

After the third round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe at Misano (16-19 May), the Italian company is also on duty for the Prologue to the Spa 24 Hours (21-22 May), two days of testing prior to the one hundredth edition of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (25-30 June) in which all 67 GT3 cars entered will race on Pirelli tyres. Before Spa, Pirelli will also be at the Lausitzring (24-26 May) for the second round of the DTM and then at Zandvoort (7-9 June) for both DTM and ADAC GT Masters.

Maserati secures first GT2 win at the French circuit

Braga: “We witnessed closely contested races which entertained the crowd. The P Zero performance was excellent, confirming its reliability.”

The Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe 2024 season got off to the best possible start, with an action-packed weekend which drew a large crowd to the paddock and grandstands of the Paul Ricard Circuit at Le Castellet. Victory in the main 85 lap race of the French round of the Fanatec GTWC Europe series went to Rowe Racing’s BMW M4 GT3, driven by Augusto Farfus, Dan Harper and Max Hesse, who got the better of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 entered by the Iron Lynx team, crewed by Andrea Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli and Mirko Bortolotti, which secured pole position in the morning in a time of 1:52.775. Third was the M-AMG Team Get Speed’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, in the hands of Luca Stolz, Fabian Schiller and Jules Gounon. The winner also set the fastest race lap in a time of 1:54.918. Worth noting that eight of the nine manufacturer teams entered were represented in the top ten.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager: “The first event of the year confirmed how the GT Series continue to progress in terms of the show they put on as well as the quality of the teams and drivers, who provided some very spectacular racing. In particular, in GT3, we witnessed a very close and evenly matched race. No one car really dominated and several seemed capable of winning, setting impressive lap times. Futhermore, there were some incredible climbs up the order, such as the 163 car that went from 46^th place to 11^th. The P Zero DHF also did an excellent job, its performance and consistency is now beyond question, even on particularly demanding tracks like this one. Now we head to Brands Hatch for the opening round of this season’s Sprint Cup, which looks like being equally challenging.”

THE OTHER RACES THIS WEEKEND
Here are the results of the other categories supported by Pirelli.

Maserati won Race 1 of the GT2 European Series, thus clinching an historic maiden victory at Paul Ricard with LP Racing’s Carlo Tamburini and Leonardo Gorini. First past the flag in Race 2 was the KTM X-Bow of Matej Homola e Jan Krabec (RTR Project).

In the GT4 European Series, the Matmut Evolution team won Race 1 with the Toyota GR Supra GT4 of Enzo Joulie, Etienne Cheli, while victory in Race 2 went to Pro Sport Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 driven by Hugo Sasse and Rafael Rennhofer.

55 GT3 cars on the starting grid, 20 of them Pro, representing nine different car makers

Braga: “The pre-season tests held at this very same track back in March, produced valuable data and confirmed the suitability of the P Zero DHF”

The 2024 GTWC Europe championship gets underway at Le Castellet’s Paul Ricard Circuit with one of the most demanding races of the season, this year brought forward to April. No fewer than 55 GT3 cars will line up on the grid, representing nine of the most prestigious automobile marques, all of them entering at least one of the 20 Pro crews taking part. Alongside the GTWC regulars (Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes AMG and Porsche) this year there are newcomers in the shape of Aston Martin with the AMR GT3 EVO and Ford with the eagerly awaited Mustang GT3.

For the twelfth consecutive year, all the GT3 cars, along with those in the GT2 and GT4 support categories, will be shod by Pirelli, with the 2022 evolution of the P Zero DHF. During pre-season testing at the Le Castellet circuit back in March as well as in the Bathurst 12 Hours in February, that tyre proved to be the most appropriate technical solution for these cars, providing a solid base for the BoP as defined by SRO.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Matteo Braga, head of Circuit Activity Pirelli: “In the first few events of the season, the DHF once again demonstrated its qualities of reliability, performance, versatility and a great degree of adaptability to the widest range of conditions, even over the course of a single race. As at every round and starting with this one in Paul Ricard, we will be able to acquire data and ideas for future development of our technical solutions. This weekend, I expect a very closely contested and spectacular challenge. There are several cars that can aspire to the win and very many top level drivers going head to head, underlining how this championship is growing in quality, becoming more attractive and competitive year after year.”

P ZERO DHF, SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE
The DHF, completely redesigned by Pirelli engineers in 2022 to match the incessant evolution of the GT cars features greater sustainability characteristics than previous versions. Right from the development stage, the DHF’s environmental impact was reduced by almost 20% through extensive use of virtual modelling instead of physical prototypes. The P Zero range for the GTWC and the support categories uses new types of renewable materials that further reduce its environmental footprint.

For Pirelli, its products for GTWC and for other motorsport categories are a test bed, as well as an opportunity to optimise processes also in terms of sustainability. The Company - the first tyre manufacturer in the world to achieve a three-star rating from the Environmental Accreditation Programme, promoted by the FIA as part of its commitment to sustainability in motorsport – aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2030 through the gradual replacement of fossil-based sources for the electricity purchased for all its factories, with renewable ones.

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.

Over 200 Pirelli fitters and engineers working at the races

Braga: “We are about to tackle a demanding and exciting season, with a solid team and an effective product, much appreciated by all competitors”

It begins in February with a 12 hour race in Australia and ends in December with a six hour event in Jeddah. In between, there are over 400 races across 70 championships for GT cars, in Europe, North America, South America, Asia and Oceania. That, in a nutshell, is Pirelli’s 2024 GT racing programme, with the company yet again this year the most heavily involved tyre manufacturer in world level motorsport, both on track and off-road.

Over 200 fitters, engineers and other staff from the elongated P will cover events on five continents during this long and busy season, starting with the 12 Hours of Bathurst, from 16 to 18 February, the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. The Australian event looks like being one of the toughest in a year which stands out for the large number of entries and the prestige attached to series such as GTWC Europe, America, Asia and Australia, the Macau GP, the national and international GT4 series, European GT2, the Ferrari Challenge, the McLaren Trophy and TransAm.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Matteo Braga, head of Circuit Activity Pirelli: “We are about to embark an exciting and demanding season with a strong and motivated team from headquarters and the local markets. We take on this challenge knowing we can count on excellent working relationships and partnerships with federations, promoters, teams, drivers and car manufacturers, that have grown stronger over the years. We can also rely on a product that has proved to be versatile and reliable at all circuits and in all conditions. We will use the races to gather data and information useful for future development of our product, which undergoes a state of constant evolution, often ahead of that of the cars which over the years have become more powerful and faster.”

THE TYRES FOR THE GT CARS
Starting with the Australian race and then at all other circuits where Pirelli partners GT car championships, the tyre used will be the P Zero DHF. It does not feature any significant innovations compared to last season, when it proved to be up to the task required of it by the current race cars. The DHF, the latest evolution of which made its debut last year, was developed to meet the specific demands of all GT classes. Among the main characteristics of this tyre are a wide working range and a construction that optimises car balance through a better connection between front and rear.

The DHF is also a more sustainable product than those that came before it. Right from the development stage, the environmental impact of the DHF is reduced through extensive use of virtual modelling, replacing the number of physical prototypes by almost 20%. The P Zero range intended for the various GT classes uses new types of renewable material that further reduce its environmental footprint.

Marciello converted victory in Saturday’s qualification race, clinching the Pirelli Pole Position Award, to a win in Sunday’s main 16-lap race despite a safety car period.

The Formula 3 World Cup was interrupted halfway through the 15 laps by a lengthy red flag period for barrier repairs, but Hitech driver Luke Browning was the star of the weekend after winning the qualification race and dominating the action on Sunday. The Williams Driver Academy member, who finished 15^th in his rookie season of Formula 3 this year, joins an illustrious list of former Macau winners – several of whom went on to become Formula 1 champions.  

MATTEO BRAGA, CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER
“Having four different brands in the top four of the FIA GT World Cup underlines the adaptability of our Pirelli P Zero DHF tyres to different cars and circumstances. It’s been four years since we were last here in Macau, due to Covid-19 restrictions, and during that time we have cycled through two different generations of tyres – yet the teams were able to quickly understand how to extract the best performance from the DHF on this unique track. Exactly the same was true for Formula 3, where the tyre we developed for the international championship proved to be very well-suited to the specialised demands of the Macau circuit as well, thanks also to the data collected throughout the season. We received a very warm welcome from all the fans and media here in Macau, underlining the outstanding popularity of this iconic venue, and we already look forward coming back next year.”

FIA GT WORLD CUP
The 20 GT3 cars all used Pirelli’s P Zero DHF tyres, as run on a variety of GT cars in championships all over the world: providing direct technology transfer to the ultra high performance P Zero tyres seen on the road.
Marciello, the GT winner in 2019 as well, said: “We’ve used Pirelli tyres all year and they have always given us plenty of success. This weekend was no different, but the track was even quicker, right from the very first sessions. Tyre degradation wasn’t an issue; we’re obviously used to doing much longer stints on these tyres.”

FORMULA 3 WORLD CUP
The 26 Formula 3 cars used the medium-compound P Zero tyres, also seen on this year’s FIA Formula 3 Championship. These were well-suited to the rapid Macau Guia circuit, providing an ideal compromise between durability and grip throughout the 6.120-kilometre lap. “Pirelli did a really good job”, commented Browning. “It was really enjoyable to feel the grip and the medium compound was perfect for the conditions. It was a difficult race to manage with all the restarts and safety cars, but it feels truly humbling to seal this result and join the incredible list of past winners.”

NEXT RACE
The 70^th Macau Grand Prix took place during the same weekend as Formula 1 in Las Vegas (which concludes its 2023 season next weekend) as well as the final round of the World Rally Championship in Japan. As all these Pirelli-equipped series draw to a close, the GT season continues at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi on December 10: part of the 350 motorsport competitions that Pirelli contests each year.

The list of previous winners underlines the event’s reputation: since the FIA GT World Cup was inaugurated eight years ago the victors have included GT champions such as Raffaele Marciello and Augusto Farfus, while the Formula 3 race – which dates back to 1983 – has Formula 1 multiple world champions such as Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher as previous holders of the trophy.

THE COMPETITORS
This unique history, combined with the incredible challenge of the 6.120-kilometre circuit, makes Macau an emblematic event on the world stage. A total of five different manufacturers will contest the GT category – although a non-German manufacturer is yet to win – while the Formula 3 race uses the same specification of car as seen on the F1 support race package this year.

Pirelli has years of experience in both categories, having supplied the FIA Formula 3 Championship since 2019 (as well as the GP3 Series since 2010), and making its debut in what was then known as the FIA GT Championship in the mid-2000s.

PIRELLI ALL OVER THE WORLD
The 70^th Macau Grand Prix weekend from November 18-19 is one of the busiest that Pirelli will experience all year, with the Formula 1 team marking its return to Las Vegas for the first time since 1982, while the World Rally Championship squad is in action at the season-closer in Japan. At the same time, Pirelli showcases both GT3 and Formula 3 in Macau at one of the most demanding events of the year: part of more than 340 championships that the Italian firm is involved in worldwide, on both two and four wheels.

THE CIRCUIT
The Macau Guia street circuit is well-known as one of the most fearsome tracks in the history of motorsport, thanks to its combination of flat-out straights and twisty sections up in the hills. Being a street track, the barriers are close and the grip is variable: there are also some incredibly narrow sections such as the Melco hairpin, which is only seven metres wide. Add in the chance of changeable weather, and it’s easy to see just why Macau has written itself into the history books.

THE TYRES AND SCHEDULE
The 21 GT3 cars will use the tried and trusted Pirelli P Zero DHF tyres that have been successfully raced all around the world in America, Asia, Europe, and Australia throughout 2023, in national championships as well as the GT World Challenge and the DTM. This tyre was introduced last year to accommodate the massive technical evolutions within the GT3 category, showcasing adaptability to all the different eligible cars as well as sustainability. On top of the slick P Zero, the drivers also have the Cinturato WHA available for wet weather. The FIA GT World Cup competitors have five sets of slick tyres available to them throughout the weekend (consisting of two half-hour free practice sessions on Thursday, a half-hour qualifying session on Friday, a 12-lap qualification race on Saturday, and the 16-lap World Cup on Sunday) plus three sets of wets.

The 27 Formula 3 cars will use the medium-compound P Zero slick, as also used in the FIA Formula 3 championship. This year’s Formula 3 tyres have been designed to allow young drivers to grow their talent on the most demanding tracks, with a Cinturato wet-weather tyre available as well in case of rain. The FIA F3 World Cup competitors have four sets of tyres available to them throughout the weekend (consisting of a 40-minute free practice session on Thursday, two 40-minute qualifying sessions on Thursday and Friday, a 10-lap qualification race on Saturday, and the 15-lap World Cup on Sunday) plus three sets of wets.

MATTEO BRAGA, PIRELLI MOTORSPORT CIRCUIT ACTIVITY MANAGER:
“We are delighted to be heading back to the legend that is Macau. This is one of the most demanding tracks on the international calendar due to its supremely challenging combination of flat-out straights as well as twistier sections that are also extremely fast: all on normal street asphalt with variable grip. The cars tend to run a low downforce setup while the close walls take no prisoners; this requires an extremely precise, reliable, and driveable tyre that is capable of adapting itself to a wide variety of circumstances and potential weather conditions. Luckily, we are able to rely on the global experience gained from the numerous GT championships that we take part in, as well as our agreement to supply the FIA Formula 3 Championship for the past five years. With drivers and teams of world-class calibre, this is set to be an extremely closely fought weekend where every element of the car, including the tyres, will play a key role in the final outcome.”

The new 296 takes over from the 488 Challenge Evo that was introduced in 2019, and Pirelli has once again developed a tailor-made family of racing tyres for the latest model, featuring new sizes for front and rear. The research and development process followed the same methodology as used by Pirelli for the FIA Formula One World Championship, with increasing reliance on virtualisation and simulation, in close collaboration with Ferrari’s engineers.

Two new tyre designs will be seen on next year’s 296 Challenge car, which was presented at the Ferrari Finali Mondiali at Mugello this weekend: a P Zero slick for dry conditions, as well as a grooved Cinturato for a wet or mixed surface. All of these new tyres have been designed to maximise grip, driveability, consistency, and working range throughout the wide variety of circuits and conditions that the Ferrari Challenge visits throughout the year all over the world.

The new Ferrari Challenge P Zero slick (in 280/680-19 size at the front and 300/720-19 size at the rear) is stiffer, with more grip and consistently faster lap times compared to its predecessor; thanks also to a wider front tyre that helps turn-in. The latest Cinturato evacuates five per cent more water and has a six per cent greater residual contact area than the tyre that came before it, with redesigned sipes to improve warm-up and wet traction.

All these tyres have been tailor-made to accommodate the notable evolutions that come with the latest Ferrari Challenge model, including a record-breaking 700 horsepower from the first six-cylinder engine ever to be used in the Challenge, as well as 870 kilograms of downforce generated at 250kph (18 per cent more than the previous model) and a Formula 1-derived braking system.

Pirelli’s ‘perfect fit’ philosophy describes how tyres are specifically made to enhance the particular characteristics of each car they are fitted to. This approach is particularly evident on ultra high performance cars, with Pirelli equipping around 50% of the prestige market globally.

Pirelli will additionally supply the new Ferrari 499P Modificata, based on the car that won the Le Mans 24 Hours this year. This is a limited-edition sports prototype for non-competitive use, inaugurating the new Sport Prototipi Clienti programme; similar to the existing F1 Clienti scheme. The new 499P Modificata also made its first appearance at Mugello this weekend, using bespoke 18-inch P Zero tyres specifically developed for the 870-horsepower hybrid prototype, which also features four-wheel drive.

Pirelli’s Head of Motorsport Mario Isola commented: “We’re extremely proud to continue the relationship that we’ve enjoyed with the Ferrari Challenge for more than 30 years, since we equipped the very first car – the 348 Challenge – with bespoke 17-inch tyres in 1992. Car and tyre technology has moved on immeasurably during that time, but both Pirelli and Ferrari have remained true to the philosophy of using motorsport as an open-air laboratory to validate technical solutions that eventually find their way onto the road, also when it comes to design and development. The 296 Challenge – closely related to its showroom equivalent – as well as the stunning 499P Modificata are the latest powerful symbols of the close collaboration between Pirelli and Ferrari: both on the road and the track.”

SRO Motorsports Group and Pirelli will extend their long-standing partnership through the 2028 season thanks to a new five-year agreement that is currently being finalised. 

The renowned Italian manufacturer will continue to fulfil the role of exclusive tyre supplier to the SRO series competing across the globe, as well as all standalone GT4 licensed series. It will also remain the sole supplier to the Fanatec GT2 European Series, which will become the "Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli" from 2024 onwards. All three categories use the same high-performance tyre, P Zero DHF, which was introduced ahead of the 2022 season. Pirelli will continue to develop its products so as to match the ongoing evolution of the discipline, in particular with the debut of the latest generation of GT3 cars in 2025. 

The fresh agreement extends a successful working relationship that began a decade ago in 2013, when Pirelli became supplier for what is today the Fanatec GT Europe Endurance Cup. This includes the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, the highlight of the global SRO calendar and the ultimate exemplar of Pirelli's expertise. The event requires a truly remarkable effort from the firm, which provides approximately 15,000 tyres from its state-of-the-art fitting village within the paddock. 

While the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa represents the pinnacle, it is just one among hundreds of races organised by SRO at which Pirelli is relied upon to supply the full grid. They include high-level international events in Intercontinental GT Challenge and Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS series in Europe, Asia, America and Australia. Over the years Pirelli has also created local teams of technicians and engineers to better support customers and drivers in each geographical area, such as North America, Asia and Australia. 

Pirelli also plays an important role in ensuring a solid platform for SRO’s globally respected balance of performance (BOP) criteria, helping to ensure close and competitive racing between a broad spectrum of GT3 cars. In this respect, the relationship guarantees stability on and off the track, laying the foundations for an even more exciting and sustainability-conscious future. 

Stéphane Ratel, SRO Motorsports Group founder & CEO: "Success in motor racing requires the very best partners and, in Pirelli, we have exactly that. For the past decade they have provided a world-class product to our teams, while also adding considerable commercial and technical support to our series and one-off events around the globe. It was natural, therefore, that we should extend our cooperation by a further five years." 

Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director: "It is a source of great satisfaction for us to continue to provide such exciting and increasingly popular championships. In these years of collaboration with SRO, we have supported the evolution of cars and race formats around the world, and we will reinforce this commitment over the next five years, confirming the spirit that has always distinguished us and associated us with the Organizer: a strong focus on customer and fan satisfaction".