What do tyres and ski slopes, the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and a driving test on a snow-covered golf course have in common? Pirelli, who is no longer satisfied with being merely a "winter specialist" and reveals its "ambition": that of being the perfect adventure companion for every driver who is keen to enjoy the best of the coldest season.
The venue and the occasion for the combination of superior performance on the ski slopes and on the road was St. Moritz and the first leg of the 2017 Alpine Ski World Cup.
While at the starting gates stand the champions of the snow-covered Circo, on the nearby Golf course in Kuoz, the centre of attention was claimed by Pirelli' Sottozero and Scorpion tyres, the flagship products from the P Lunga winter range, tested by end customers, dealers and the international press in a driving experience in an exceptional setting. Temperatures well below zero and a breathtaking landscape accompany the tests on the course, performed using the most prestigious reference cars sporting Scorpion™ Winter and Winter Sottozero™ 3 tyres (from Audi to Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini, just so you know).
Indeed Pirelli is also the leader in original fitted winter equipment and has updated its record to 650 type-approvals. This result has been reinforced by the excellent product reviews published on the international press.
Another significant accomplishment comes from the most recent statistics, which show one car owner in four picking winter tyres from the Bicocca-based manufacturer for the winter tyres fitted on their car, according to the applicable regulations in force on seasonal tyre changes.
Pirelli's instinct for the winter
To offer the winter version of its "perfect fit" strategy, in other words providing every car (and every car owner) with the most suitable cover for their needs, Pirelli relies on inter-departmental work groups who pool together the abilities of the engineers from Milan Bicocca with the experience of Pirelli's plants in Germany, and then test the winter products in dedicated company-owned facilities situated in various places across Northern Europe (such as Ivalo, in Finland, or Älvsbyn in Sweden).
No less important for the development of Pirelli winter products is the experience accrued across multiple motoring competitions which take place on snow and ice. So, according to this “competitions-snow” combination, Pirelli has this year added a further notch in its Winter strategy post: sponsoring the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup and the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.
Indeed, from 6th to 19th February, the colours of the P lunga will accompany athletes competing in the first leg of the World Cup in St. Moritz.
The World Cups supplement the winter sponsorships currently held by Pirelli in Italy and Switzerland, which are key markets for the P lunga branded winter.
Pirelli partners with FISI (Federazione Italiana Sport Invernali - the Italian Winter Sports Federation) and will accompany Italian athletes in 2017/2018 season's world championships.
Pirelli's commitment towards the FIS will also continue for the Championships in Åre (Sweden) 2019 and Cortina 2021, whose competition venues, just like in St. Moritz 2017, will be brightened up with the red and yellow colours of Pirelli.
