Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Goodyear back on track in European and International sportscar racing
july 24, 2019 - Goodyear

Goodyear back on track in European and International sportscar racing

  • Latest #goodyear tyres to be tested in FIA World #endurance Championship Prologue
  • Development to continue ahead of the opening round at Silverstone

Teams from the FIA World #endurance Championship (WEC) take to the track for the pre-season ‘Prologue’ at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Tuesday. One of the most significant moments of this highly anticipated public test session will be the return of #goodyear to international competition.

The tyre company announced its global racing comeback ahead of June’s Le Mans 24-hour race, confirming that they will develop tyres for the 2019/2020 #wec season which begins at Silverstone on September 1st. #goodyear has a proud history in motorsport. In addition to 14 wins in the Le Mans 24 hours, #goodyear tires were used to win 368 Formula One Grand Prix - a record that stands unbeaten. Tomorrow top #wec teams will test #goodyear tyres in the Prologue.

Goodyear has been developing a new range of tyres for Le Mans Prototypes for over a year at their innovation centres in Hanau (Germany) and Colmar-Berg (Luxembourg). The first phase of this development plan is to introduce five new specifications of tyre for the highly-competitive LMP2 class in #wec. This class, for 600hp prototypes, is one of the most demanding in #wec as it features a battle between tyre manufacturers. At the Prologue, the Jota Sport, Jackie Chan DC Racing, High Class Racing and TDS teams will sample Goodyear’s latest development tyres. The #wec regulations allow tyre manufacturers to supply a range of three dry weather, one intermediate and one wet weather tyre to racing teams. #goodyear will use the Prologue, followed by a three-day private test at the same circuit next week, to evaluate different tyre options. They will then reveal their 2019/2020 #wec tyre range at the Silverstone season opener.

Ben Crawley, Director #goodyear Racing EMEA, explained the objectives: “For the #goodyear comeback, we are aiming high to deliver performance for our teams. The 2018/2019 #wec season featured an intense battle between the tyre manufacturers. Our priority has been to offer driveability and consistency that provides the teams with a significant step forward. These test sessions will allow us to evaluate the all-new range options against the competition before we define our range at Silverstone. For the forthcoming season, #goodyear will focus on delivering success in LMP2 whilst evaluating other racing options for 2020 and beyond. These could be in other #wec classes or in other international racing categories.”

The 2019/20 #wec season will feature eight races of varying lengths, concluding at Le Mans in June 2020. The season also includes two 4-hour races (Silverstone and Shanghai), three 6-Hour races (Fuji, Sao Paulo and Spa-Francorchamps) and two 8-hour races (Bahrain and Sebring).

 ““The nature of the races (varying from 4 hours to 24 hours) mean tire choice and strategy are critical and it provides a motivating challenge for our technology team in our European innovation centers ahead of exploring other racing opportunities for the brand.”Ben Crawley - Director Motorsports