All you need to know about tyres at the Pirelli Spanish Round
The Official Tyre Supplier of WorldSBK has an eye on next year.
As the eni FIM Superbike World Championship season resumes after the summer break, the Official Tyre Supplier of the series, Pirelli, returns to action also as the Event Main Sponsor of the Spanish Round.
For the third last round of the 2015 Pirelli brings 4282 tyres to meet the needs of all classes of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship.
In particular, each Superbike rider will have 64 tyres to choose from, 35 front and 29 rear, but according to the rules, everyone may use only 24 over the entire race weekend.
In addition to the solutions to be used in wet, which are the intermediate DIABLO™ Wet and the full wet DIABLO™ Rain, every rider can choose between three different front slick solutions and two rear. Also those who will enter the Superpole on Saturday will receive a rear super soft qualifier tyre.
At the front there are two development solutions in medium-soft SC1 compound and an SC2 in medium-hard compound. As for the SC1 solutions the novelty is the new T1616, which has never been brought to a race so far but that the riders were able to test during the tests in Portimão in June. This solution, compared to the standard SC1, further improves stability by limiting any phenomena of movement with high temperatures. The second development SC1 that can be chosen by the riders is the S1699 which debuted successfully at Aragón in 2014. It offers more support in the approach to bends in favour of a better steering precision and was the most widely used front tyre through 2014. This year it has been brought to all rounds.
The last option for the front is the development SC2 U0104, brought to the race for the first time at Sepang but tested and highly appreciated by the riders in the official tests of Portimão. Compared to the standard SC2 this latter solution should ensure greater grip, more similar to that of the SC1.
For the rear two solutions in soft compound. The standard SC0, ideal for smooth asphalt and high temperatures, offers maximum indentation on asphalt and maximum traction at high temperatures, in addition to the higher stability to thermal decay performance. It debuted in Thailand and so far has also been taken to Aragón, Assen, Imola, Donington, Portimao, Laguna Seca and Sepang.
Alternatively riders can use the T0611, a development solution that debuted in Imola and was taken also to Portimão, Misano, Laguna Seca and Sepang. This tyre uses a really soft compound which can offer a very high level of grip when used with high temperatures.
In Supersport, there are three front solutions and as many rear, in addition to the tyres for wet. For the front two options in SC1 compound and one in SC2 compound. In addition to the standard SC1, ideal for demanding circuits, there is the development solution S1485, which made its debut at Misano in 2014 and has also been taken to Portimão and Magny-Cours. Usually it provides greater support in the approach to bends in favour of better steering precision. This year it was taken to Australia, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Great Britain, Portugal, USA and Malaysia. The third and last option is the standard SC2 in medium compound, suitable for aggressive riders who prefer the compactness of the tread band.
At the rear, Pirelli alongside the standard SC0 brings two new development solutions in soft compound and in increased 190/60 size compared to the classic 180/60 usually used in Supersport. The first of these solutions is the U0748 that, in circuits where there are high temperatures like Jerez and Phillip Island, it should dispel the severe environmental stress faced by the tyres. The second alternative in increased size is the U0757 that, as the U0748, was developed particularly for Phillip Island and which differs from the U0748 in terms of structure.
The 2014 Pirelli statistics for Jerez:
•Total number of tyres Pirelli brought: 4882
•Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Superbike class: 6 front and 7 rear
•Number of tyres available for each Superbike rider: 38 front and 34 rear
•Number of solutions for the Supersport class (dry, intermediate and wet): 5 front and 4 rear
•Number of tyres available for each Supersport rider: 26 front and 26 rear
•Superbike Best Lap Awards won by: Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team),
1'41.939 (Race 1, 2nd lap) and by Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team), 1'42.223 (Race 2, 3rd lap)
•Supersport Best Lap Award won by: Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India), 1'44.849 (2nd lap)
•Temperature in Race 1: air 23° C, asphalt 26° C
•Temperature in Race 2: air 28° C, asphalt 40° C
•Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike tyres: 281.9 kms/h, in Race 1 by Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) at 5th lap
• Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Supercorsa tyres in Supersport: 247.9 kms/h, Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) at 2nd lap.