Everything, everywhere, all at the same time

This weekend, on opposite sides of the world, Pirelli's motorsport teams will be in action throughout a number of very different competitions: the very first Las Vegas grand prix in the modern era of Formula 1, the final round of the World Rally Championship in Japan, and the Formula 3 World Cup as well as the FIA GT World Cup in Macau. All these events are for somewhat diverse drivers and cars, featuring multiple world champions as well as young stars looking to make their names, but they all have one thing in common: the Pirelli P Zero tyres on their cars (as well as Cinturato, if it rains). More than 500 people work directly and indirectly in motorsport for Pirelli, with in excess of 350 Pirelli-supplied championships on both two and four wheels worldwide. To cater for the demand, Pirelli has two dedicated motorsport production facilities, in Turkey and Romania, and a travelling team of around 55 people in Formula 1 this weekend, plus 22 for WRC and about 20 for Macau. Their roles range from management to tyre fitting to marketing to engineering to catering, but they are all dedicated to the unique lifestyle that is epitomised by Pirelli in motorsport. This combination of style and technology is the reason why Pirelli P Zero tyres are fitted to one out of every two supercars when they leave their factories. And in Las Vegas, Macau, and Toyota City (the appropriately-named home of Rally Japan) more than 20 different automotive brands will be represented – all wearing Pirelli tyres in competition as well as on the road.

Pirelli's track to road philosophy, which describes how technical innovations first seen in motorsport are then transferred to the road for the benefit of ordinary motorists, has never been better exemplified than by the action this weekend. All three events – Las Vegas, Macau, and Rally Japan – use roads that cater for normal traffic throughout the rest of the year, with everything that entails: varied asphalt, street furniture like manholes and white lines, as well as oil, grime, and all the other deposits that build up thanks to the realities of everyday motoring. All three venues are even opened up to normal traffic while the event is going on, in between days and sessions. The effect of this is most keenly felt in Formula 1 cars, which are extremely sensitive to changes in grip: especially in the sort of cold weather that's expected at night time in the desert. The weather in Japan can be extremely variable at this time of year, with rain a distinct possibility, whereas Macau should be reasonably warm – but with a chance of more or less anything else happening on track: especially safety cars. As with all street circuits, grip is at a premium and the barriers – which take no prisoners – are extremely close. As a result, extreme precision is needed from the tyres: Macau features the narrowest hairpin seen anywhere in motorsport, which is just seven metres wide and taken at even lower speeds than the famous Station hairpin at Monaco. 

Like Monaco, both Las Vegas and Macau are well-known gambling capitals. This is less the case for Toyota City, although the Japanese are famously found of their slot machines, with Pachinko being a national pastime that incredibly generates more gambling revenue per year than Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore combined. When it comes to the racing action on the streets, the stakes are similarly high – and to some extent, the results will always be a lottery. Nobody has ever raced at Las Vegas before, with sessions late at night, and temperatures that could dip into low single digits. Max Verstappen and Red Bull have had everything their own way so far in Formula 1, but Las Vegas might not play to their strengths: as we also saw in Singapore this year. With some many unknown factors, Las Vegas is the most likely venue to spring a surprise this year. As for Macau…it's probably the most unpredictable race of the year, anywhere in the world. From multiple pile-ups to Laurens Vanthoor winning the 2016 race despite ending it on his roof, it's all happened at Macau. As for Rally Japan, the sinuous asphalt and variable weather can throw up all sorts of twists…and with Hyundai winning last year, reigning champions Toyota will be keen to exact vengeance on home territory.

So what's in store for Pirelli this weekend? Tyres of all descriptions, fitted to both single-seaters, GT cars, and rally cars: front, rear, and mid-engined, with two-wheel drive and four wheel drive, in rain, wind, cold, and heat. Drivers from all over the world, from debutants to champions. Circuits that take in tight corners as well as flat-out straights, not to mention twisty mountain roads. Hazards that include barriers, fences, trees, and rocks. Engines that are turbocharged, naturally-aspirated, and hybrid-electric. Top speeds that peak at over 320kph and hairpin bends taken barely above walking pace. But the same expertise, grip, and precision that guarantees a perfect symbiosis between car, driver, and road – the reason why Pirelli's assertion that ‘power is nothing without control' became an iconic slogan in global automotive culture.