Rising to the Challenge | Pirelli

Rising to the Challenge

 

A shared history with Ferrari

Pirelli has been an integral part of the Ferrari Challenge since the inaugural championship in 1993: a series that has only increased in popularity, thanks to the unique allure of the Prancing Horse, over the last 32 years.

Throughout that time, there have been nine different models of Ferrari Challenge cars showcased by the series, starting off with the 348 and culminating in the 296, which made its championship debut this year.

Like all the Ferrari Challenge cars that came before it, this is an adapted version of a Ferrari road car – in this case, the 296 GTB – which has been modified for competition use. For this latest racing model, the roadgoing hybrid system was discarded – in order to make the car eligible for as many other championships as possible – and the result is a fantastically pure yet advanced racing car, which is as enjoyable as it is intuitive to drive.

The Ferrari Challenge takes place from America to Asia, with a number of other regional championships joining the big continental series in future, which can attract up to 70 or more cars per weekend. Naturally, this all means that the competitors have to tackle a huge variety of tracks and weather conditions: from the rain and fog of the Nürburgring in Germany, for instance, all the way to the scorching sunshine of Laguna Seca in California.

Keeping the show on the road

Those very same challenges have to be met by the tyres: the only points of contact between the car and the track. So Pirelli's mission is two-fold: it has to make bespoke racing tyres that suit the 296 Challenge car perfectly – part of the company's Perfect Fit strategy – but also work well at every venue that the championship visits. All this using just one P Zero slick compound and one Cinturato wet compound. It's a delicate balancing act, but thanks to some targeted development work together with Ferrari's own engineers, and the know-how that has been transferred from Pirelli's engagement in Formula 1 (not to mention 350 or so other championships worldwide) the latest tyres for the 296 Challenge are able to provide unparalleled performance and consistency on each circuit, complementing the inherent driveability and balance of the 296 itself.

The brand new Cinturato rain tyres that were developed for the 296 Challenge showcase an advanced new tread pattern that evacuates 5% more water than the previous tyre and has a 10% larger overall contact patch. This allows the Cinturato to perform equally well in drying as well as full wet conditions, and means that the driver feels more grip and more confidence. Even when it's a wet race and conditions dry up towards the chequered flag, the drivers can now keep going on the Cinturato without having to change back to the slick.