The Electric GT Championship, the world’s first 100% zero-emissions GT championship, enjoyed a successful three days of testing recently, with the Tesla Model S racking up an impressive 520 kilometres of running.
Ninety-three laps were completed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and Circuit Paul Ricard, with the bespoke Pirelli tyres, developed for the inaugural 2017 campaign, performing excellently on the race-prepared Tesla.
Click here to watch the video from the Montmelo tests
The tests focused on how the Pirelli P Zero tyres behaved with different pressures and how they reacted to the impressive amount of torque that the Tesla produces.
They also gave a chance to run the car with numerous mandatory components, including: OMP safety equipment, roll cage, new cooling system, carbon-fibre adjustable spoiler and panels, and full carbon splitter added.
“I am very pleased with the behaviour of the P Zero tyres in these early stages of development,” Electric GT Championship CEO Mark Gemmell said. “After analysing the data, it supported the race simulations that we had predicted prior to these tests. We also were able to run some regulation parts that have been fitted and we are happy with the performance this has brought.”
During the first day in Spain, 70km were completed on just a single battery allowing Pirelli to collect crucial data to aid tyre development. Pirelli test driver Guillaume Meura and EGT’s Agustin Payá shared duties behind the wheel.
Grand prix winner Heinz-Harald Frentzen joined them 10 days later at Paul Ricard and was impressed with the performance and reliability of the car and tyres. Meura and Payá also drove as 87km were completed on a single battery.
“Everyone has been impressed by the early performance of the Tesla Model S,” Electric GT Championship Technical & Sports Director Agustin Payá said. “I completed 37 laps in the car and it felt excellent out on track. We encountered no issues throughout the three days and the reliability is very impressive. The tyre degradation was exactly as we expected it to be and now we are looking forward to some more testing at the end of November.”
The EGT Championship will consist of 20 international drivers, both male and female, racing for ten professional teams in identical Tesla Model S machines equipped with the latest OMP safety equipment and running on bespoke Pirelli tyres. EGT will visit seven classic European circuits in its inaugural season, including Paul Ricard, Barcelona, Zandvoort, Estoril and the Nürburgring, before staging three non-championship races in the Americas.
