For the past six seasons Pirelli has been a highly valued partner of SRO Motorsports Group. The relationship began in 2013, when the manufacturer became the sole tyre supplier for what was then known as the Blancpain Endurance Series.
The quality of Pirelli’s product has led the Italian firm to consolidate its position during the subsequent evolution into the Blancpain GT Series. It continues to provide rubber for the championship and, following a recent contract extension, will do so until at least 2023.
This role includes equipping grids of close to 70 cars at the marquee Total 24 Hours of Spa, a phenomenal undertaking that requires 13,000 tyres, 24 trucks and well over 100 personnel. Indeed, Pirelli creates a unique tyre fitting “village” at the Belgian venue, working without rest throughout the long-distance event.
This represents only one aspect of Pirelli’s relationship with SRO, which now extends to 12 different championships staged across the globe. In 2019 the Italian company will continue to supply the premier Intercontinental GT Challenge, which will see the sport’s fastest GT competitors testing Pirelli rubber on five different continents. Indeed, from next season onwards the championship will be known as Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli.
The rapidly growing GT4 category also enjoys a close working relationship with Pirelli. Indeed, all GT4 series directly organised by SRO Motorsports Group run exclusively on the Italian firm’s rubber, adding a significant number of cars and events to the Pirelli portfolio.
Pirelli will also act as sole supplier for the new Blancpain GT World Challenge, which encompasses high-level regional series in Europe, Asia and America. The range of circuits, cars and climactic conditions found among these categories requires the full breadth of Pirelli’s motorsport expertise.
Blancpain GT World Challenge America enjoys particularly close links to its tyre supplier, having been known as Pirelli World Challenge from 2011 until the conclusion of the current season. The development of the series’ name will not affect its relationship with Pirelli, which remains as sole tyre supplier and a valued partner for 2019. What’s more, the firm will take on naming rights for the new Pirelli GT4 America series that will compete in 2019, continuing its close association with GT racing in the U.S.
Indeed, this is not the only sense in which Pirelli’s role extends beyond supplying tyres. The Italian manufacturer has played an instrumental part in ensuring a solid platform for SRO’s globally respected balance of performance (BOP) regulations, helping to ensure close and competitive racing across a wide variety of series.
In this sense, Pirelli is of considerable importance to the success of SRO Motorsports Group and its growing portfolio of categories. The extension of this relationship guarantees stability and offers the ideal platform for an exciting future.
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