Pirelli, the New Wet Weather Tyre Now Also Makes Its Gtwc Debut at the Misano Circuit

After its official launch in DTM, the Cinturato WHB now appears on the GT2 cars in the European championship

An improved footprint, thanks to optimised grip and warm-up

Braga: “Racing is always exciting and demanding at the Marco Simoncelli track with tyres subjected to high stress”

The GT World Challenge Europe is back in Italy to celebrate its third round of the season at Misano, one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the whole GT calendar. Pirelli has brought along the new wet weather Cinturato WHB tyre which, having made its very first appearance at the Oshersleben round of the DTM at the end of April, is now making its debut on the GT2 cars competing in GTWC, before also being available for a 24 Hour race for the first time, at the Nurburgring at the end of May.

Obviously, the tyre will only make its debut if it rains, which for the moment is unlikely and that leaves the stage free for the P Zero DHF dry tyre, which will face a challenging test at the Misano track. The Marco Simoncelli circuit is 4.226 kilometres in length and runs anticlockwise. It boasts 16 corners, six of them left handers, and is one of the most challenging of the season, because of its twisty nature and the high temperatures that can be expected.

PIRELLI QUOTE

Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager: “We are always happy to come to Misano, because of the enthusiastic crowd and the fact that the racing is always close and exciting. It will be a good test for the tyres, yet again the DHF which to date has proved to be the most appropriate technological solution for the Gran Turismo cars, coping well with the BoP developed by SRO. Several sections of the track require heavy deceleration, which puts the tyres under a lot of stress. This phenomenon is particularly noticeable at certain corners where drivers want to maintain the highest possible corner speed through a series of braking points and accelerations which create significant load transfer between the rear and front axles. Let’s wait and see if the WHB will be required on the GT2 cars, a class that is evolving rapidly and is worth keeping an eye on for interesting developments in which it could play a part.”

PIRELLI TYRES AT MISANO

The P Zero DHF, which underwent its latest evolution last year, has been developed to meet the specific needs of all GT classes on a dry track. Among this tyre’s main characteristics are a wide working range and a construction that optimises car balance through a better connection between front and rear.

The DHF also offers greater sustainability characteristics than its predecessor. Right from the development stage, the DHF’s environmental impact was reduced through extensive use of virtual modelling replacing physical prototypes, which were thus reduced by almost 20%. The P Zero range for various GT classes uses new types of renewable materials which further reduce its environmental footprint.

The Cinturato WHB, that rounds off the revision of Pirelli’s GT range, features a new tread design which has allowed the use of the latest generation materials. These new compounds along with increased tread stiffness have improved the footprint, optimising grip and warm-up at low temperatures, without compromising stability in crossover conditions from wet to dry or sensitivity to aquaplaning, which is actually improved. The WHB’s operating range is thus widened compared to the previous generation tyre.