The FIA GT Series, promoted by SRO, will use Pirelli as its official tyre supplier when the endurance racing series kicks off at Nogaro in southwest France this weekend (29 March-1 April). Pirelli previously supplied the FIA GT Championship last year, and will use the know-how gained previously to enhance the tyre product this season.
The design of the 2013 Pirelli GT tyres has taken on board many of the lessons learned from other series, including Formula One. The working processes have been further optimised to meet the needs of the FIA GT Series while maintaining the performance characteristics that endurance drivers have appreciated in the past.
The GT Series cars will use 18-inch tyres, with the exception of Ferrari, which uses 19-inch tyres on the rear. These sizes are very close to those used for road cars, allowing a direct technology transfer from the track to the road.
Pirellis motorsport director says:
Paul Hembery: Pirelli is proud to support SRO and the FIA GT Series this year, which has a strong and competitive grid for 2013, as many of the cars competing are similar to the supercars that we supply on the road. Our objective is to produce a consistent and effective tyre for the series, which offers both good performance and durability. Despite the fact there are a number of different manufacturers and car configurations on the grid, Pirelli strives to provide a tyre that works equally well for all of them. The slick tyres used for GT racing will be branded P Zero this year: just like the slicks that have become a central feature of Formula One. All this underlines Pirellis reputation as the world leader in Ultra High Performance tyres.
About the FIA GT Series:
A global sports car series based on race versions of road-going supercars, the FIA GT Series features a number of prestigious manufacturers including Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and McLaren: all of which use Pirelli P Zero tyres as original equipment on their road cars. Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb will also join the grid this year as the Frenchman competes under his own racing team with McLaren.
In parallel with the 2013 FIA GT Series, the Blancpain Endurance Series will continue at five key rounds with Pirelli as its tyre supplier. Events include Spa 24 hours and Nurburgring 1000kms.
About Nogaro:
Nogaro is a 3.6-kilometre circuit that combines fast straights with some twisty technical sections, and is a perfect venue for Pirelli to demonstrate the capabilities of its P Zero slicks (for dry conditions) and P Zero wet tyres.
Pirellis history in endurance racing:
Pirelli has a strong track record in endurance racing, ranging from the Le Mans 24 Hours (which it won in 1954 with Maurice Trintignant, Froilan Gonzalez and Ferrari) to recent multiple titles in the American-based Grand Am series. The Italian tyre firm has also claimed a huge variety of class wins in GT racing all over the world, as well as supplying exclusive one-make series such as the Ferrari Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo and Maserati Trofeo.
FIA GT1 Series calendar 2013:
1.Nogaro (France) 29 March-1 April 2.Zolder (Belgium) 20-21 April 3.Zandvoort (Netherlands) 6-7 July 4.Slovakia Ring (Slovakia) 17-18 August 5.Spain (Navarra) 12-13 October 6.Middle East (exact locationTBC) 16 or 23 November
