Few of them though are quite like Hockenheim. The well-known venue for the German Grand Prix, regularly frequented by huge crowds of fans, contains a bit of everything: some straights that are among the fastest of the year as well as an extremely twisty and technical stadium section.

As is often the case in motor racing, it’s a question of finding the best possible compromise that will work well everywhere: both in terms of car set-up and tyre choice.

For this race, round five of the GP3 series, Pirelli and the championship organisers have opted for the medium-compound tyre: which made its debut at the start of the season in Barcelona and Istanbul Park. This tyre has been chosen precisely because of its proven adaptability, giving drivers both power and control within a wide range of circumstances.

The new GP3 series is all about giving young driver the opportunity to make their way into GP2 and eventually into Formula One. With 11 current Formula One drivers having graduated from GP2, GP3 is a vital first step up the ladder of talent.

In order to give these 30 eager young drivers the best possible opportunity to display their talents, Pirelli has developed a stable and consistent tyre that puts the emphasis firmly on driver ability. Equally, some degree of degradation is deliberately built in, so that up-and-coming drivers can also learn the art of managing their tyres.

Hockenheim, located close to Frankfurt, is a physically and technically demanding circuit that will teach the stars of the future a lot about racecraft. Adding to the many variables that the track throws up is uncertain weather, which can range from bright sunshine to torrential rain at this time of year in northern Germany.

The 13-inch medium-compound PZero tyre will also have to cope with a very wide window of speeds, not to mention heavy loads under acceleration, braking and cornering on the 4.5-kilometre circuit.

Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola commented: “We chose the medium-compound tyre for Hockenheim, which performed very well in Barcelona and Istanbul, precisely for its flexibility and adaptability: which will be a key to getting the most out of Hockenheim. Like all the tracks Hockenheim is new to us this year, and of course the experience we accumulate in GP3 will be extremely useful to us in the future as we prepare for GP2 and Formula One as well. We saw a very entertaining race at Silverstone on Sunday and we are pleased that our tyres can help the GP3 drivers to show the very best of themselves in front of an appreciative and important audience.”

After the opening eight races of the season, Mexico’s Esteban Gutierrez leads the GP3 series by 26 points from America’s Alex Rossi. ART Grand Prix leads the teams’ championship ahead of Manor Racing.

Practice in Hockenheim takes place from 16:50 on Friday 23 July. Qualifying begins at 08:45 on Saturday morning, followed by race one at 16:20. Race two starts at 08:30 on Sunday, with both races lasting half an hour.

For further information on Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediatica.co.uk or +44 (0) 7765 896 930.

For GP3 series information: www.gp3series.com

Monday 19 July 2010

The GP3 field will use Pirelli PZero tyres at Hockenheim

The GP3 series is one of the first international formulae to race on the latest track configuration, which features seven new corners. As a result, both the lap length and average speed have been increased.

Pirelli’s hard compound tyres made their debut on the track this year, after the Italian firm used medium compound rubber at the first two GP3 rounds in Barcelona and Istanbul, followed by the soft compound at Valencia.

 The new hard compound Pirelli PZero 13-inch tyre proved to be both fast and reliable at Silverstone despite a wide variety of weather conditions that accurately reflected the vagaries of the British climate.

Saturday’s race was held in dry and warm conditions, with temperatures in the region of 30 degrees centigrade. Esteban Gutierrez dominated the feature race by taking pole position for the second consecutive time and sealing his third win of the season by 3.6 seconds from Rio Haryanto and Nico Muller.

 On Sunday the weather was cloudy and much cooler with temperatures of about 18 degrees centigrade, increasing the time it took to get the hard compound Pirelli tyres up to ideal operating temperature. Daniel Morad took his first GP3 victory, while the crowds enjoyed a huge battle between Mirko Bortolotti and Gutierrez for the remaining podium places. The pair fought hard but fairly, with their Pirelli tyres allowing them both to push to the very limit.

Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola commented: “We’re very pleased with the debut of our hard compound PZero GP3 tyre at Silverstone, particularly because it performed consistently within a very wide range of conditions. We were privileged to witness some of the best racing we have seen all year, with the battle between Mirko and Esteban forming a special highlight. Interestingly there was a lot of carbon fibre debris on the track this year, which meant that we saw a number of tyres that had suffered deep cuts to the tread pattern. Despite this, the tyres performed perfectly: underlining the reliability as well as the performance of our PZero rubber.”

 At the halfway point of the season Gutierrez leads the championship with 51 points while his ART team mate Alexander Rossi is back up to second on 25 points. The ART squad also leads the teams’ championship.

 The next two races of the eight-round GP3 series take place at the German Grand Prix in Hockenheim from July 24-25. Pirelli was recently confirmed as the exclusive tyre supplier to Formula One next year, along with GP2 and GP3. In this way, future generations of drivers will benefit from a Pirelli-backed ladder of talent designed to take them all the way to the very top of the sport.

For further information on Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediatica.co.uk

or +44 (0) 7765 896 930.

For GP3 series information: www.gp3series.com Sunday 11 July 2010

Sunday 11 July 2010

Daniel Morad took his first GP3 victory with Pirelli at Silverstone

Borovets is also home to another tough course, the 354.10-kilometre route of Rally Bulgaria, round seven of the 2010 World Rally Championship, of which Pirelli is the exclusive tyre supplier under a three-year agreement with the FIA, motorsport’s world governing body.

Although Borovets is located high up in the Rila mountains, being early July, it’s not surprising to learn that the rally used Tarmac-only runs rather than snow-coated grassy slopes. However, its lofty location means the weather can be unpredictable. During the four-day event, crews experienced bright sunshine, heavy clouds and rain, while ambient temperature variations ranged from eight degrees centigrade to 30-plus at the rally’s permanent service park in Dolna Banya.

It was the threat of unpredictable weather that made the availability of the soft compound Pirelli PZero tyre essential for the competing crews. On gravel events, WRC regulations restrict drivers to a pre-determined compound of Pirelli’s Scorpion tyre. On asphalt events, they can choose between the hard (for dry conditions) or soft (for wet conditions) compound PZero, albeit with a restriction of 40 covers in total. In Bulgaria, they had an allocation of 34 hard compound tyres and 24 soft compound tyres, eight more than usual, following reports of possible thunderstorms.

While the event was held in largely dry conditions, overnight showers and precipitation on Saturday morning’s opening brace of stages forced competitors to choose between the hard and soft compound tyre and dramatically increased the challenge due to the inconsistent stage surfaces.

Both types of compound use an identical tread pattern, designed to provide maximum contact with the road, but the soft version is designed to provide more grip and stability when conditions are cold and damp, while the hard provides optimum performance when the weather is warm and the road surface dry.

Sebastien Loeb, who won the rally to extend his lead of the world championship to 51 points, opted for the soft compound PZero tyre for all of Saturday’s six stages to counter the threat of showers. While it proved a wise move by the factory Citroen C4 driver on Saturday morning, it was less inspired in the afternoon when it remained dry.

“We expected some rain so it was a safety decision because when you have water on the road the soft compound tyre is much better,” said Loeb. “If it’s dry we knew it would not be the best choice but we did not lose too much time because the grip under braking was still good when we used the soft compound tyre on a dry surface, although we could not be so quick through the corners because we have less lateral grip and you have to find a different rhythm for that.”

Sebastien Loeb took his 22nd WRC win on Pirelli tyres in Bulgaria

Loeb’s victory was his 58th at world championship level, the 22nd time he had triumphed in the WRC using Pirelli tyres and his seventh win on asphalt with Pirelli covers.

In the past, Pirelli engineers would have developed a tyre specifically for competition and for different levels of rainfall. But because the FIA specified that the asphalt tyres had to conform to everyday road use regulations, the PZero WRC cover is virtually identical to the tyres available for members of the public, albeit with even stronger sidewalls to combat the threat of punctures. Nevertheless, Loeb was quick to praise the performance of his Pirelli PZero tyres.

“It’s been the perfect rally for me and very good for the championship,” said Loeb. “I am happy with the performance of the tyres and I was surprised that the soft was as good as it was in dry conditions when, for sure, it was not the best choice.”

Rally Bulgaria also marked the debut of Pirelli’s new RX tyre for use by Junior World Rally Championship competitors in place of the old RS design. Using the same technology incorporated into the 18-inch RX tyre, Pirelli has produced 17- and 16-inch versions to give the competitors in the young-driver class more precision, reaction, durability and consistency, particularly on some of the longer stages (the Batak Lake stage run twice on day one measured 31.77 kilometres in length) on the rally route.

Thierry Neuville, who claimed his maiden win in the JWRC class in a Citroen C2 S1600, said: “The tyre was working very well. You had a very good feeling and there is not much difference between how the tyre looked at the start and finish of the long stages. It’s very good work by Pirelli.”

Matteo Braga, Pirelli’s senior WRC tyre engineer, concluded: “We are very satisfied with how this rally has gone for us. It is a new rally and the first round of the WRC on Tarmac this season so there was increased expectation. The teams are now clear about how the soft and hard tyres perform in different conditions and this is very important. Also, Petter Solberg used the same set of tyres on Friday’s stages, which covered 120 kilometres, and this shows the durability of the tyre is very good. We’ve seen no tyre damage or punctures although there were some junior drivers who had problems by cutting corners and hitting rocks, which broke rims rather than the tyre.”

A table detailing driver tyre compound choice on Rally Bulgaria is attached.

The World Rally Championship resumes in Finland from July 29-31.

ENDS
Borovets, July 11, 2010

On-event media contact: Richard Rodgers on +44 7833 470541 or richard@mediatica.co.uk

Thierry Neuville gave Pirelli’s RX tyre a maiden JWRC victory

La pagani Zonda R a établi un nouveau record sur le circuit de Nordschleife de  Nürburgring couvrant les 20.83 km en 6′47″, en pneus Pirelli P Zero slick (dimension 265/645-19TL, 325/705-20TL).

La Zonda R a battu un record établi il y a quelques mois par une autre supercar extrême dotée de pneus de concurrents.

Le record a été rendu possible par les pneus Pirelli P Zero Slick fabriqués à partir de solutions, profils et matériaux typiques à la production sport automobile de Pirelli, assurant un excellent grip sur l’asphalte et capables de transférer  toute la puissance de la voiture au sol. Conçus exclusivement par Pirelli pour la supercar construite à Modene, les pneus Pirelli P Zero slick ont été fabriqués à Milan sur la nouvelle ligne de production Mirs, le processus de fabrication innovant et robotisé breveté par Pirelli, couvrant le cycle complet de fabrication des composants jusqu’au produit fini, sans interruption ou gaspillage d’énergie. Le process Mirs est représentatif de l’excellence de Pirelli en matière de technologie et se concentre sur la production de pneus « Ultra Haute Performance » et compétition.

Les autres facteurs qui ont contribué au grip haute-performance peuvent être liés à une  réduction de 200 kg du poids de la Zonda R comparé à la version routière, à son châssis en carbone-titane, à des suspensions plus légères, un centre de gravité bas, une réduction importante de l’inertie et un excellent poids aérodynamique.

  Contact Pirelli France :       

Pirelli France: Astrid SERGEANT    01 49 89 77 05

Image7 : Isabelle de Segonzac    01 53 70 74 70

As well as supplying Formula One with tyres next year, Pirelli will also supply GP2 and continues to supply GP3: ensuring a ladder of talent that will enable youngsters to progress their careers all the way to the top, with the help of Pirelli.

The first step of that ladder is the GP3 series: newly-created this year as a feeder formula to GP2, which is now recognised as the established route to Formula One. The 30 identical cars all use 280-horsepower Renault engines and the same tyres, putting the emphasis firmly on driving talent.

Six closely-fought races at Grand Prix weekends in Barcelona, Istanbul and Valencia have proved that the concept works, allowing the most influential people in motorsport the opportunity to see up-and-coming talents compete against each other in a thrilling battle for supremacy.

At Silverstone this weekend, the GP3 drivers will use the new hard-compound PZero 13-inch tyre for the first time. On the opening two rounds, the medium compound tyre was used, while the soft compound made its debut in Valencia. Nonetheless, conditions in Silverstone will be somewhat different to anywhere else. The British track, which is one of the oldest permanent circuits on the Grand Prix calendar, has just undergone extensive redevelopment with a new section added to the infield that increases the lap length to 5.9 kilometres.

This means that the tyres will have to deal with new asphalt and a configuration that nobody is familiar with, while performing well at the sustained high speeds that Silverstone is famous for. The British weather, which is renowned the world over for its unpredictability, is also likely to be an important factor governing the use that the drivers make of their tyres.

Pirelli’s Racing Manager, Mario Isola, comments: “Working as always in close collaboration with the GP3 series organisers, we identified Silverstone as the right place for our hard-compound GP3 tyres to make their debut at the start of the year, and we are looking forward to seeing them out on the new Silverstone circuit. The demands placed on the tyres are very high there, but we are confident that we have a product that will cope very well with the challenge. Of course we are constantly evolving the tyre design, so if we see at the end of the weekend that there is not enough wear, we can certainly adjust the hard compound in future. But there are so many other factors at work at this very famous circuit that it is hard to predict exactly what is going to happen over what is sure to be another extremely exciting weekend!”

After the opening six races of the season, Mexico’s Esteban Gutierrez leads the GP3 series from Canadian Robert Wickens and America’s Alex Rossi. ART Grand Prix leads the teams’ championship ahead of Manor Racing.

 Practice in Great Britain takes place from 16:50 on Friday 9 July. Qualifying begins at 08:45 on Saturday morning, followed by race one at 16:20. Race two starts at 08:30 on Sunday, with both races lasting half an hour or 17 laps.

For further information on Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediatica.co.uk or +44 (0) 7765 896 930.

For GP3 series information: www.gp3series.com

Monday 5 July 2010

British weather is famously changeable: will it be wet or dry at Silverstone?

As Pirelli announced its comeback to Formula One for the first time in 20 years, the new 13-inch PZero soft compound GP3 tyre made its debut at the Valencia street circuit for round three of the all-new series.

The medium compound tyre was used for the first two rounds, in Barcelona and Istanbul Park. At Valencia, the soft-compound tyre – designed to deliberately degrade and slide – made its first appearance.

The demanding street circuit, which runs around the famed America’s Cup harbour in Valencia, incorporates a wide variety of speeds and corners, testing the drivers and 280-horsepower cars to the limit. The challenge was made even greater by sustained high temperatures in excess of 30 degrees Centigrade.

 All 30 drivers had a chance to test their cars the week before the race in Valencia, but conditions could not have been more different. For a start, the test took place at Valencia’s permanent circuit, instead of the street track, using the medium-compound rather than soft-compound tyres. The test was also held in changeable weather conditions, including some rain that disrupted proceedings.

However, one thing that remained constant was the pace of ART driver Esteban Gutierrez from Mexico. He topped the test times, and a few days later claimed pole position for race one on the soft-compound Pirelli tyres. When the lights went to green he was gradually able to pull out a winning margin over the course of the half-hour race, setting fastest lap at the same time. Canada’s Robert Wickens was second (to move up to second in the championship) while Spaniard Roberto Merhi – making his GP3 debut – finished an impressive third.

The second race, held on Sunday morning in front of all the Formula One teams and Grand Prix crowds, was won by Swiss driver Nico Muller, who started from second on the grid to claim his first victory. The front of the grid for race two is formed of the top eight from race one reversed, with the rest of the field starting in their race one finishing order. Merhi was second in the race to crown an extremely successful weekend for the local hero while pole-sitter James Jakes was third. In the championship, Gutierrez has extended his lead while Wickens is second. American driver Alexander Rossi had a weekend to forget in Valencia and so drops to third in the standings. ART Grand Prix leads the teams’ standings from Manor Racing and Jenzer Motorsport.

Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola commented: “With the introduction of the new soft tyre, we are clearly on the right road as we noticed that there was more degradation and sliding, just as we intended. However, it’s also clear that we can go a bit further in this direction to improve the show, and that is something we will work on for the future. Despite the unique conditions of this fast street circuit, the tyres were very consistent during each race and session, enabling the drivers to assimilate accurate information about set-up, which is very important as the emphasis in the GP3 Series is firmly on learning. The quick entries into tight corners meant that a number of drivers were locking up their brakes, but even so there were no major problems with flat spots and vibrations, which is very good to know.” The next two races of the eight-round GP3 Series takes place at the British Grand Prix in the newly developed Silverstone circuit in England from July 10-11.

For further information on Pirelli’s participation in the GP3 Series, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediatica.co.uk or +44 (0) 7765 896 930.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Gutierrez won on Pirelli’s soft-compound tyres to extend his GP3 lead

Pirelli – qui a fourni exclusivement des pneumatiques pour le championnat GP3 cette année – fournira également le championnat GP2 en 2011, devenant ainsi l’unique fournisseur de pneumatiques pour les championnats de monoplaces  les plus de prestigieux du sport automobile. 

L’entreprise basée à Milan est déjà présente en WRC (World Rally Championship), dans le championnat du monde de Superbike, Rolex Sport Cars Series en Amérique du nord, en championnat du monde de Motocross et d’autres championnats nationaux pour automobiles et motos.

Milan, 23 Juin 2010 –  Pirelli fournira les pneumatiques pour les championnats du monde de formule 1 pour une période de trois ans à partir de 2011 jusqu’en 2013.

La FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), les écuries, représentées par la FOTA (Formula One Management Association) et le comité organisateur de la formule 1, représenté par la FOM (Formula One Management) ont choisi Pirelli comme fournisseur exclusif, en se basant sur les propositions spécifiques de l’entreprise italienne pour garantir une constance technique et opérationnelle aux concurrents.

Suivant les règlements actuels en vigueur en formule 1, prévus par le conseil d’administration du sport automobile mondial, la FIA, le nouveau contrat garantit que Pirelli fournira aux écuries six différents types de pneus durant la saison : quatre pneus slicks, avec plusieurs types de gommes pour les différents types de surfaces sèches, un pneu pluie en cas de fortes pluies, un pneu intermédiaire en cas de pluie légère ou temps humide.

La situation économique actuelle a conduit toutes les écuries à adopter une approche réaliste et collaborative, garantissant ainsi que les coûts logistiques et de productions soient partagés équitablement.

Le retour de Pirelli en Formule 1 permet également à la firme d’avoir un œil rivé vers le futur, avec une collaboration totale avec les écuries, la recherche et le développement de nouveaux pneus étant une partie vitale de ce programme.

Pirelli est également fier d’annoncer qu’il fournira la catégorie GP2 –  tremplin de la formule 1- pour une période de 3 ans de 2011 à 2013.

Cette dernière participation de Pirelli au plus haut niveau en course de monoplaces, s’ajoute aux activités gagnantes de la firme italienne en terme de sports mécaniques : incluant à partir de cette année, un contrat de fourniture pour la catégorie GP3. Par conséquent, Pirelli deviendra le fournisseur unique des championnats les plus prestigieux au  monde à partir de 2011.

Pirelli envisage de faire d’importants investissements en communication institutionnelle, afin de tirer le meilleur parti de la notoriété et de la technologie de pointe qui vont de pair avec la fourniture de pneumatiques en formule 1, en utilisant les ressources et le budget déjà prévu à cet effet.

Cette campagne de communication aidera principalement au développement de la présence de Pirelli sur les marchés émergents : l’Amérique latine, le Moyen-Orient et l’Asie pacifique, qui sont les régions les plus souvent élues à la formule 1.

Par conséquent, la Formule 1 deviendra la principale carte de visite pour la marque Pirelli, aidant ainsi son expansion commerciale et industrielle sans modifier sa stratégie financière sur le long-terme.

La visibilité mondiale garantie par l’intérêt médiatique pour la Formule 1 associé à un plan dynamique, permettra à Pirelli de tirer profit de son implication dans une activité centrale liée à son cœur de métier, ce qui représente une occasion unique pour la marque de maximiser son retour sur investissement.

Ce nouvel accord couronne l’implication historique de Pirelli dans le monde des sports mécaniques, qui remonte à 1907 lorsque l’entreprise italienne a remporté la course épique Paris-Pékin. Actuellement, Pirelli fournit en exclusivité les championnats automobiles et motos les plus importants, comme le GP3 series, le WRC, Rolex Sport Cars Series en Amérique du nord, le championnat du monde de Superbike et le championnat du monde de motocross. De plus, Pirelli fournit plus de 70 autres championnats nationaux et internationaux. La dernière victoire en Grand Prix obtenue par Pirelli date de 1991 lors du Grand Prix du canada, remportée par Nelson Piquet au volant d’une  Benetton.

The first two rounds of the inaugural GP3 series in Barcelona and Istanbul made use of Pirelli’s medium compound tyre, which proved to be extremely versatile in a wide range of conditions. Now Pirelli’s new 13-inch soft compound tyre makes its debut on the Valencia street circuit this weekend: the home of the European Grand Prix.

The new GP3 series, with each Renault-engined car putting out 280 horsepower, is designed as a stepping-stone to GP2: the acknowledged route to Formula One. Thanks to a calendar made up exclusively of Grand Prix weekends, the young drivers taking part in GP3 have the chance to display their talents in front of some of the most influential people in motorsport, with the help of Pirelli’s tyres.

For the first time, Pirelli will use the soft-compound tyre in competition this weekend, which has been carefully developed in a test programme involving Renault Formula One driver Vitaly Petrov. The GP3 drivers all took part in a two-day test last week at the nearby Valencia circuit, a permanent facility, using the medium compound tyres already seen in Barcelona and Istanbul.

However, this weekend’s race will take place on the spectacular 5.41-kilometre Valencia street circuit, which was first used in 2008 and is a very different proposition. The track runs through the breathtaking Arts and Sciences area, characterised by the cutting-edge architecture of local man Santiago Calatrava, which includes a stunning 140-metre long swing bridge.

The new soft-compound Pirelli tyres are designed to deliver optimal performance but also to deliberately degrade, in order to teach the young drivers how to look after their rubber: a vital skill that they will need to carefully cultivate for their future careers. The demands of a street circuit are somewhat different to the requirements of a permanent track as the grip can be more variable – thanks to street furniture such as painted white lines and manhole covers – and the surfaces are more aggressive. For a street circuit Valencia is also very quick, with the Formula One cars topping out at a maximum speed of around 323kph, in between the 25 corners. Conditions should normally be dry and warm, but there was some rain during the test last week.

As Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola explains, these unique challenges can only benefit both Pirelli and the young drivers taking part in the GP3 series. “Valencia is a great circuit but it is not at all easy for the cars, drivers and tyres,” commented Isola. “The first time that the drivers will try our soft compound tyres will be during practice on Friday, and I think that they will notice quite a difference from the tyres they have used on the previous two rounds. Following our brief from the series organisers we have made the tyres degrade more, but they will also provide more performance early on in the race. These are the tyre characteristics that the drivers will increasingly experience as their careers advance up the motorsport ladder, so it’s great to get them used to looking after their tyres from a young age.”

After the opening four races of the season, Mexico’s Esteban Gutierrez leads the GP3 series from American Alexander Rossi and Canada’s Robert Wickens. ART Grand Prix leads the teams’ championship ahead of Jenzer Motorsport.

Practice in Spain takes place from 16:50 on Friday 25 June. Qualifying begins at 08:45 on Saturday morning, followed by race one at 17:20. Race two starts at 09:25 on Sunday, with both races lasting half an hour.

For further information on Pirelli’s participation in GP3, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediatica.co.uk or +44 (0) 7765 896 930.

For GP3 series information: www.gp3series.com

The highly competitive GP3 championship was launched this year as the springboard to GP2, which is widely acknowledged as the established route to Formula One.

Having got off to a successful start in Barcelona – where Pirelli’s distinctive yellow trucks were seen in a Grand Prix paddock for the first time in 20 years – the series continued in Turkey: a significant venue for Pirelli, as the Italian firm’s competition tyres are made in Izmit, just an hour away from Istanbul.

The Istanbul Park circuit opened in August 2005 and forms the venue for round seven of this year’s Formula One World Championship, giving the 30 talented youngsters who compete in GP3 the chance to display their abilities in front of some of the most influential people in motorsport. With identical Renault-engined Dallara chassis producing 280 horsepower, the accent is firmly on driving performance.

Once more, Pirelli brought its medium-compound PZero 13-inch GP3 tyres to the race: identical to the tyres that had been used in Barcelona. Conditions were dry and warm for both GP3 races – which were held on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, lasting half an hour each. Throughout both races the new Pirelli tyres performed perfectly, providing excellent grip and reliability while teaching the young drivers how best to manage their rubber.

ART driver Esteban Gutierrez dominated Saturday’s first race by surging past the pole-sitter Nigel Melker, before extending his lead lap by lap and eventually winning by 10.5 seconds ahead of Manor’s James Jakes.

In the second race on Sunday morning, Indonesian driver Rio Haryanto (Manor) started from pole on the reversed grid, and eventually won from MW Arden’s Miki Monras and ART’s American driver Alexander Rossi.

Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola commented: “Here in Istanbul Park we experienced much more extreme conditions than we found in Barcelona earlier this month, with air temperatures in the region of 32 to 33 degrees centigrade and track temperatures of up to 50 degrees. Despite these conditions, the medium compound tyres – identical to the ones we used in Barcelona – were reliable with a consistent wear rate, proving their suitability to a wide range of temperatures. I think we still need to build in a slightly greater degree of artificial degradation, in order to make the cars slide more, but we have a constant dialogue with the championship organisers and the flexibility to adapt the tyres from race to race.”

The next two races of the nine-round GP3 Series takes place at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain, from June 25-27.

For further information on Pirelli’s participation in GP3, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediatica.co.uk or +44 (0) 7765 896 930.

Haryanto won the second GP3 race at Istanbul Park using Pirelli PZero tyres