BARCELONA, Spain – Dorna WSBK Organization, promoter and organizer of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, in agreement with the FIM, the International Motorcycling Federation, is pleased to announce that Pirelli has been confirmed as the Official Tire Supplier of the series.
The agreement confirms Pirelli in its current role of sole tire supplier for all the classes of the FIM Superbike World Championship until the end of the 2018 season.
Starting in the 2004 season, and now in its 11th year, the technical partnership established between Pirelli, the teams and riders of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship can today boast the record of the longest running control tire supplier in the history of motorsports at the international level. Established with the primary purpose to reduce the overall cost of running the championship, the single tire formula proposed by Pirelli has steadily increased quality and competitiveness, enabling all the riders, teams and motorcycle manufacturers participating to compete for success in the Championship.
“We are glad to continue with Pirelli for a further three years,” said Javier Alonso, WSBK executive director. “This renewal testifies our excellent relationship with the Italian company, a partnership for more than a decade that has always been strong with both the International Motorcycling Federation and the promoter and organizer of the series, and is clear evidence of Pirelli’s ongoing and constant ability to innovate and to offer products at the forefront of technology.”
“Pirelli is proud of this confirmation as Official Tire Supplier for the top Championship for production derived motorcycles. It is a partnership that has lasted successfully until today thanks to the constant commitment and well-finished service of our racing team that goes to the track every weekend to support the teams and the riders,” added Uberto Thun-Hohenstein, senior vice president of Pirelli’s Business Unit Moto.
The role of Exclusive Tire Supplier of the Formula1® Championship and the eni FIM Superbike World Championship, in addition to the important efforts in the Rally, Motocross and Endurance World Championships, as well as the most important two and four wheel motor competitions, demonstrates the passion and dedication that Pirelli has always placed in sporting activities.
“The consistency in the technical support provided by the brand with the long ‘P’ at the races with their presence in the paddock and their professional development away from track provides the competitive racing and the year on year improvement in terms of lap times that we have seen over the years – an average reduction of race time of 0.7 seconds per year,” said Gregorio Lavilla, WSBK sporting director. “The continuation also provides both teams and riders with confidence in making further steps forward in the next years.”
Giorgio Barbier, racing activities director of Pirelli’s Business Unit Moto and Head of Superbike project for the Milanese Company since 2001 added, “When we first believed in the single tire supplier solution to reduce the cost of motorcycle racing, some were reluctant and some feared that the quality of both the races and the tires would have been affected. This has not been the case, as the single tire supply allows the tire manufacturer to make developments, then [make them] available to all motorcyclists.”
–From World SBK Press Office
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