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.}

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.

The challenge:
Monza has a fearsome reputation, having earned the nickname ‘Temple of Speed’ in its early years. The GT3 cars today reach up to 285kph on the modern circuit, with massive deceleration zones at the Rettifilo, Roggia and Ascari chicanes. The last corner of the lap is one of the most famous: Parabolica, a sweeping right-hander that requires drivers to hit their marks perfectly, or else lose time down the long pit straight to the first chicane. Perhaps the most challenging corner though is the Curva Grande: taken flat-out, where the tyres are subjected to high lateral loads with plenty of downforce as well. The peak g force load over the course of the lap is 1.9g coming out of Ascari: in Curva Grande it’s around 1.5g, but sustained for much longer.

The competitors:
A total of 49 GT cars piloted by 144 drivers will race at Monza this weekend, all fitted with Pirelli DHD2 rubber. Reigning Endurance Cup champions Mercedes-AMG Team Black Falcon and their trio of 2018 drivers – Yelmer Buurman, Maro Engel and Luca Stolz – are all back to defend their crown. But they’ll have plenty of competition, as 18 other crews are all fighting for title honours in the Pro category. In all, 10 marques are represented: Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Honda, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. The GT4 European series will also be present at Monza, with a 37-car grid and 11 different brands.

The product:
Pirelli will supply its P Zero DHD2 slick tyre specifically designed for GT racing and proven in numerous championships around the globe. This is available in a hard compound only that can cope with the circuit’s demands but also provide the opportunity for double stints. The Cinturato WH is available in case of rain.

Quotes:
Matteo Braga, Pirelli racing technical manager: “At our home event, Pirelli has a strong presence both on and off the track. Monza remains one of the biggest challenges of the year, where the winning strategy consists of balancing the sometimes conflicting demands of performance and durability. Above all, it’s about ultimate speed, making this opening round of the Endurance Cup more of a sprint event by nature. With a number of new cars and drivers, the teams will have to dial themselves into the track quickly during free practice to maximise every opportunity. The weather is often a question mark; last weekend we had a three-hour race at Monza for the Italian GT Championship in mixed conditions.”

Practical info:
The race takes place on Sunday April 14 at 3pm CEST, taking place after a trio of qualifying sessions to set the grid at 9:40am CEST. In addition, there will be three hours of track time for the drivers on Saturday, with free practice followed by a pre-qualifying session.

For more information about the Blancpain GT Series, please visit: www.blancpain-gt-series.com/

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For further information about Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on +44 (0)7765 896 930 or anthony.peacock.ex@pirelli.com

WHAT TO EXPEXCT
Monza is the fastest circuit of the championship, so it’s vital to manage the tyres to keep the compound within the ideal temperature window (remembering of course that on the long straights the tyre can ‘rest’ and cool down). With high speeds and fast corners, Monza is a massive test for tyres as so much energy is put through them. The drivers will have to pay particular attention to the two Lesmo corners as well as Ascari and Parabolica, bearing in mind also that the cars carry the lowest downforce settings of the year to enhance top speed. At the end of the straight, they will be touching 280kph…

ANY SURPRISE IN STORE?
The new Pirelli P Zero DHD2 tyre has been specifically developed for GT racing and is designed to provide a better handling balance between front and rear, which is particularly useful on the more technical circuits. While the DHD2 makes the biggest difference at medium speed corners, it could also provide some interesting developments on the faster corners at Monza. With the new P Zero tyres having been designed to be easier to drive on the limit, the Am drivers have a chance to get closer to the Pro drivers.

WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW
It’s important to feel every reaction from the car at Monza so as not to lose control in the highspeed sections. Such as the famous Curvone, which the cars come out of at around 260kph, flat- out in sixth gear, before tackling a braking area: testing the balance between car and tyres, as well as the instincts of the drivers. For the 2018 season the number of manufacturers represented increases to 11, making it this the championship with the highest number of represented manufacturers in Europe. The Lexus RC F GT3 embarks on its first full season while the latest Bentley Continental GT3 makes its competition debut. Matteo Braga, circuit technical manager: “While our DHD2 tyres have already made their public debut and raced on different events all around the world, this is the first time that they will compete on such a rapid track as Monza as part of the Endurance Cup. As a result, they will be expected to withstand the extremely heavy loadings typical of this circuit, providing not just consistent pace, but also reliability over a long period of time.”

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Pirelli Press OfficePh. +39 02 6442 4270 –pressoffice@pirelli.com – www.pirelli.com

Pirelli’s new P Zero DHD2 makes its debut: specifically developed for GT racing

The 2018 Blancpain GT Series is go, with the first weekend of racing at the Zolder circuit in Belgium. This marks the opening round of the Sprint Cup for drivers and teams, with two 60-minute races on the schedule: Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday. There are 22 cars taking the start, with consistent ambient temperatures expected, but with asphalt temperatures that vary massively from three degrees centigrade in the morning to 31 degrees in the afternoon.

PASSPORT: ZOLDER

Location: Zolder, Belgium

Date of birth: 1963

Length: 4.0 kilometres

Corners: 10 corners and three chicanes

Lap record: 1m12s

Fact of the day: the circuit hosts cycle races as well (and was the home of the Belgian Grand Prix on 10 occasions, up until 1984).

THE CIRCUIT FROM A TYRE POINT OF VIEW

Matteo Braga, circuit technical manager: “Among the peculiarities of Zolder is the weather: in the morning conditions tend to be cool and then temperatures climb higher. As a result, the teams have to manage a wide range of temperatures during the course of the day and in order to maximise the performance they have to pay particular attention to the warm-up. Furthermore, the level of competition in the Sprint Cup is very high. This means that managing the tyres is crucial when it comes to extracting every last tenth of performance.”

With a wide variety of temperatures throughout the day, a strong array of manufacturers taking part, the long corners in the first sector, and the rapid direction changes in the second and third sectors at Zolder, the track presents the ideal backdrop to confirm the conclusions drawn at the pre-season Blancpain GT test in Paul Ricard. Namely, the versatility of the new P Zero DHD2 tyres: the latest-generation tyres for GT competition, born from Pirelli’s experience as sole supplier to the Blancpain GT Series as well as other GT championships all over the world. The objective for Pirelli’s engineers was to ensure an even higher level of driveability in a wide range of usage conditions and on every type of competing car.

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Follow us on Twitter @pirellisport or Facebook: Pirelli Motorsport. Please also visit the Pirelli website for more information on the company: www.pirelli.com.

Pirelli Press OfficePh. +39 02 6442 4270 –pressoffice@pirelli.com – www.pirelli.com