Pirelli & C S p A : 2022 PIRELLI MOTORSPORT SEASON PRESENTATION

THE TECHNOLOGY IN THE NEW TYRES

Formula 1. Formula 1 is about to embark on a technical revolution with Pirelli at the forefront, just as was the case when the championship was first inaugurated in 1950. After more than half a century of 13-inch tyres, the size will now increase to 18 inches, playing a key part in the new technical regulations for 2022, which re-introduce ground effect.
The new 18-inch tyres were designed from the ground-up, with every element of the tyre drawn from a clean sheet of paper: from the profile, to the structure, to the compounds.
The design process took in more than 10,000 hours of indoor testing, more than 5000 hours of simulation, and more than 70 prototypes developed virtually, to eventually create 30 different specifications that were tested by nearly all the teams over more than 20,000 kilometres. The role of the drivers was crucial, with each of them contributing to the development at various points and helping Pirelli arrive at the definitive specifications thanks to their feedback.
The new tyres have a wider working range than their 13-inch predecessors, without compromising warm-up. As a result, overheating is limited and degradation is reduced. There are additionally new temperatures for the tyre blankets. All the tyres will now be heated up to 70 degrees, rather than 100 degrees at the front and 80 degrees at the rear, as was the case previously. The reduction of tyre blanket temperatures is part of a plan to gradually eliminate tyre blankets over the coming seasons, to help reduce electricity consumption and aid sustainability.
The new 18-inch tyres are also more similar to the tyres used every day by ordinary motorists, which helps Pirelli to transfer Formula 1 technology onto the road car product.

Rally. Pirelli has also been present in rallying from the very beginning: since the very first World Rally Championship was run in 1973. The Italian firm has been at the cutting-edge of tyre technology ever since, with 2022 marking the introduction of hybrid engines on World Rally Cars. Pirelli has evolved its entire range of P Zero, Scorpion and Sottozero tyres to cope with the extra weight and additional power of the new Rally1 formula.
The P Zero tyres for asphalt and Scorpion covers for gravel benefit from a reinforced structure and optimised design in order to cope with the increased demands due to the 100 kilograms of extra weight, as well as the increased torque from the electric hybrid units.
These new tyres were first tested with the teams during sessions held at the end of 2021. The data gathered during winter testing, as well as the information obtained from the rallies held in 2022, will provide additional reference points for any future evolutions of these products, in line with Pirelli's philosophy of continual development. Finally, the studded ice tyre that will make its debut in Sweden benefits form a reinforced structure and improved studs.

GT Series. In GT racing, Pirelli has optimised all its knowledge and production processes to create a more streamlined range of tyres and increase efficiency as well as stock control. The new range of tyres, called P Zero DHF, has been designed to cater for every class of GT racing: GT2, GT3 and GT4.
The new P Zero DHF takes over from both the DHE that has been used up to now for GT3, as well as the DHB that has been used for GT4. The P Zero DHF makes use of a new family of materials, which guarantee a wider working range - especially in warmer conditions - and a new construction that improves the balance between front and rear. The result is increased performance, greater versatility, and a better feeling for the driver. There will also be a renewed range of tyres for the one-make championships supplied by Pirelli, which is a partner to some of the most prestigious car makers in the world, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren. These innovations will benefit not only the drivers in those series, but also drivers of similar road-going examples on the streets.
Reinforcing the close links between road and track, the Trans-Am series in the United States will swap 16-inch tyres for 18-inch tyres this year. The Spa 24 Hours will remain Pirelli's biggest and busiest single motorsport event of the season: involving more than 100 people of 13 different nationalities as well as nearly 30 trucks, needed to transport more than 13,000 tyres. GT racing represents Pirelli's core values, thanks to the collaboration with car manufacturers that allows Pirelli to maximise the lessons learned on the race track to develop the latest generation of P Zero ultra high performance tyres for the road.