Pirelli: Press

Pirelli confirmed as exclusive Formula One tyre supplier from 2011

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Pirelli confirmed as exclusive Formula One tyre supplier from 2011 The Italian tyre firm will supply all the Formula One teams from 2011-2013 with six types of tyre: four for dry weather, one for rain and one intermediate tyre.

Pirelli – which has supplied tyres exclusively for the GP3 championship this year – will also supply the GP2 championship from 2011, becoming the sole provider of tyres for the most prestigious single-seater championships in global motorsport.

The Milan-based firm is already present in the World Rally Championship, the World Superbike Championship, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America, the Motocross World Championship and several other national championships for both cars and bikes.

Pirelli will supply tyres to the Formula One World Championship for a three-year period between 2011 and 2013.

The FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile), the Teams, represented by FOTA (the Formula One Teams Association), and Formula One's organising body, represented by FOM (Formula One Management) have chosen Pirelli as their exclusive supplier, based on the specific proposals from the Italian company to guarantee technical and operational stability to the competitors.

Following current Formula One regulations laid down by world motorsport's governing body, the FIA, the new contract ensures that Pirelli will provide teams with six different types of tyre for the season: four slicks, with different compounds for various types of dry surfaces, one rain tyre for heavy rain, and one intermediate tyre for damp conditions or light rain.

The current economic climate has led to a realistic and collaborative approach with all the teams, ensuring that manufacturing and logistical costs are shared fairly.

Pirelli's return to Formula One also has a firm eye on the future, as in full collaboration with all the teams, research into innovative new tyre developments is a vital part of this exciting programme.

Pirelli is also proud to announce that it will supply the GP2 World Series – the acknowledged stepping-stone to Formula One – for the three-year period between 2011-2013.

Pirelli's latest participation at the highest levels of single-seater racing make a welcome addition to the celebrated Italian firm's other motorsport activities including, from this year, a tyre supply agreement for the inaugural GP3 series. Pirelli will consequently become the single supplier to all the most prestigious racing championships in the world from 2011.

Pirelli is planning to make important investments in corporate communications, in order to make the most of the high profile and cutting-edge technology that go hand in hand with supplying Formula One, using resources and budget that has already been set aside for this purpose.

This communications campaign will principally help to support Pirelli's increasing profile in emerging markets: Latin America, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, which are all areas frequently visted by Formula One.

Consequently Formula One will become a vital calling card for the Pirelli brand, helping its commercial and industrial expansion without disrupting the company's long-term financial strategy.

The global visibility guaranteed through extensive media interest in Formula One, together with dynamic plans to leverage Pirelli's involvement in an activity central to the company's core business, represents a unique opportunity for the brand to maximise its return on investment.

This new Formula One agreement crowns Pirelli's historic involvement in world motorsport, which dates back to 1907 when the Italian fim won the epic Paris-Peking road race. Pirelli currently exclusively supplies some of the most important World Championships for both cars and bikes, such as the GP3 series, the World Rally Championship, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America, the World Superbike Championship, and the Motocross World Championship. On top of this, Pirelli also supplies more than 70 other national and international championships. The last Grand Prix victory claimed by Pirelli was the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix, with Nelson Piquet driving for Benetton.

Pirelli will be available to provide further details on the tyre supply agreement tomorrow, 24 June 2010, at 2.30 p.m. CEST during a conference call, in which the Chairman of Pirelli & C., Marco Tronchetti Provera, and the CEO of Pirelli Tyre, Francesco Gori, will intervene. Journalists will be able to participate by telephone, with the possibility to ask questions, by calling the number: +39 06 3348 5042 or +39 06 3348 6868 or +39 06 33168 and then dialing *0 . (Emergency line for problems to connect: +39 06 334844 or +39 06 33444 551).

The presentation will also be available via webcast – in real time – on the website www.pirelli.com in the Media – Press Area section.

More information, as well as photographs and videos, are available at: www.pirelli.com/web/media/press_area/default.page

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Oscars for Pirelli's film makers

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0200

Oscars for Pirelli's film makers

Oscars for Pirelli' s film makers: Kathrin Bigelow, director of Mission Zero, and Mauro Fiore, director of photography on The Call, triumph at the Night of the Oscars at the Kodak Theatre
Kathrin Bigelow , who directed Uma Thurman in the second Pirelli short film called Mission Zero in 2007, has triumphed at the Night of the Oscars by winning the award as best director with her film The Hurt Locker.
Her magisterial interpretation of the Mission Zero script, turning the action film into a context of great emotional and psychological tension, had already brought to light her tremendous talent behind the movie camera.
But the satisfaction for Pirelli is twofold: a second Oscar went to Mauro Fiore for the best photography in the film Avatar. He was the photographic director of The Call , Pirelli's first short film in 2006, starring John Malkovich and Naomi Campbell.
Once again, Pirelli demonstrates its commitment to the search for the best performance, on the road and not only ...

Pirelli: 'Sustainability Yearbook 2010', world sector leader for the third year in a row

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:00:00 +0200

Pirelli: 'Sustainability Yearbook 2010', world sector leader for the third year in a row

Pirelli confirms and improves its leadership in sustainability. The '2010 Sustainability Yearbook' not only places the Italian group as 'Sector Leader' and 'Gold Class Company' in the 'Autoparts and Tyres' sector for the third year in a row, but also awards the company, for the first time, the title of 'Sector Mover' thanks to further significant growth in terms of sustainable performance. Pirelli has thus obtained all three of the prestigious top titles, confirming its leadership in sustainability in its industry both at worldwide level and in Italy.

Edited by SAM Group, the Swiss Asset Manager responsible for the evaluations for admission to the Dow Jones sustainability indices, and by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the 'Sustainability Yearbook' is considered the most complete and authoritative publication in the world on trends and corporate performance in terms of sustainability.

Pirelli is confirmed as global leader in the Dow Jones sustainability indices

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0200

Pirelli is confirmed as global leader in the Dow Jones sustainability indices For the third consecutive year, Pirelli is the global leader in its segment (Autoparts and Tyres) in the Dow Jones sustainability indices. This is the outcome of the 2009 review by the SAM Group of the Dow Jones sustainability indices, in which Pirelli continues to be included both in the DJSI WORLD index and in the European DJSI STOXX index.

Within its segment, the Pirelli Group - the only Italian group that has achieved worldwide leadership - obtained a global rating of 88% (+ 11% with respect to 2008) compared with a segment average of 48%.

Exactly as in previous years, for the Autoparts & Tyres segment, only 4 companies were featured in the DJSI World index: Pirelli & C, Denso Corp, Michelin, and Johnson Control Inc., while only two are included in the DJSI STOXX: Pirelli and Michelin.

SAM (Sustainable Asset Management) is the Swiss ethical rating agency that carries out the process of selection of companies for admission to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, a global index that brings together the best companies in the field of economic, financial, environmental and social sustainability, the result of collaboration between the Dow Jones New York stock exchange index, STOXX Ltd. and the SAM Group. Pirelli was selected and added to the Dow Jones Sustainability STOXX (DJSI STOXX) index for the first time in 2002 and has been included for years now also in the global Dow Jones Sustainability World Index.

For more information
http://www.pirelli.com/web/sustainability/sust_eval/dow_jones/default.page

Motorists recommend Pirelli: Customer satisfaction with Pirelli original equipment increases, 22 points above average.

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0200

Milan, 25 September 2008 -More than 22 points above the sector average. That is the result attained by Pirelli in the 2008 Original Equipment Tire Customer Satisfaction Study, the annual survey of motorists and their original equipment covers during a vehicle's first two years of its life.
Carried out by the Californian institute J.D. Power and Associates, the survey assigns an award for each of the four categories examined: Luxury/Sport Vehicles, Mass Market/Non-Luxury Vehicles, Pick-up/Full Size Van Vehicles and SUV Vehicles.
The satisfaction in relation to OE is measured on the basis of five fundamental factors: wear, traction, design, driving pleasure and handling.
The survey involved 14 manufacturers, Michelin, Goodyear, Continental, Bridgestone, B.F. Goodrich, Firestone, Dunlop, Hankook, Yokohama, Kumho, Toyo, General, Uniroyal and, obviously, Pirelli. Both Pirelli and Michelin obtained the highest points.
Compared to the previous year, Pirelli increased its score by 34 points, even overtaking Michelin which, despite the fact that it won the award, increased its index of satisfaction by 13 points on its 2007 score.
The satisfaction of the customer is a leading element in the re-purchase of the same brand when replacing the original equipment tyres, as is the case when recommending the manufacturer's product to friends and family. In this area, too, Pirelli scored 38% while the sector average was 32%.

Pirelli Tyres Company Honoured with Ford's 2004 World Excellence Award

Tue, 10 May 2005 00:00:00 +0200

Pirelli Tyres Company Honoured with Ford's 2004 World Excellence Award

The Pirelli Tyres Company received Ford Motor Company's Gold World Excellence Award for its superior performance in 2004.

The World Excellence Awards provide annual recognition based on quality, cost and delivery performance. Fifty-two suppliers from 21 countries won awards in various categories, but just 17 suppliers were awarded with the "Gold".

"For achieving the highest level of performance, we gratefully recognize Pirelli Tyres Company for its exceptional contributions and effort" said Tony Brown, Ford senior vice president, Global Purchasing. "Tonight we recognize the best of our best suppliers. You are an impressive Group, proving us with a wide range of outstanding products".

There are three types of World Excellence Awards - Gold, Silver and Recognition of Achievement. The Gold and Silver Awards are given to suppliers that excel in quality, delivery and cost.

Pirelli's new P6 and P7 tyres

Sat, 24 Mar 2001 00:00:00 +0200

Pirelli's new P6 and P7 tyres Barcelona, March 2001 - Sees the launch of P6 and P7, the new high performance tyres from Pirelli, utilising the most advanced materials and technology. Designed to equip a wide range of cars, from high class saloons to the latest generation sports cars, as well as MPVs, Pirelli P6 and P7 are available in a total of 40 sizes covering 70% of the car market.

Produced in Pirelli's factories in Italy, Spain, UK and Germany, using the most sophisticated process and control technology currently available to the tyre industry, P6 and P7 are to be widely distributed and will go on sale immediately in southern European markets. They will be sold throughout Europe and in Japan by the end of May. Sales are expected to reach 1.5 million units by the end of 2001 and stabilise at a regular 10 million tyres a year.

A large proportion of P6/P7 production will be assigned to Original Equipment sales, underlining how closely the tyres' development has been integrated with that of the car manufacturers. The new products have already been approved or are in the process of approval for key models of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Fiat, Jaguar, Peugeot and Ford.

Although having different performance criteria, P6 and P7 bring together the two faces of a single tyre family, conceived under the banner of safety: the emphasis for P6 is on comfort and low sound emission and, for P7, sports driving.
P6 is intended for high class saloons, MPVs and estate cars: ride and acoustic comfort, stress resistance, low rolling resistance, smooth running and evenness of wear are its distinctive qualities.
P7 has been designed predominantly for latest generation sports cars: performance in the wet, precise cornering, safety during braking and, above all, lifelong ability to maintain these characteristics introduces a new dimension to the performance tyre market.

Internet addresses on the sidewalls

The Internet addresses, www.pirellip6.com and www.pirellip7.com , are part of the respective sidewall inscriptions.

The web sites www.pirellip6.com and www.pirellip7.com , provide on-line information about P6 and P7 tyres as well as a dealer locator. An innovation to promote openness and the quality of Pirelli's relationship with its customers, the two sites incorporate a price list as well as announcements concerning competitions and promotions reserved for P6 and P7 buyers.

With a simple click, a navigator can also complete a form and join " Club Pirelli" . The sites currently feature a competition offering participants a trip for two to the Rally of Finland at the end of August, three " Safe Driving" courses at the Imola racetrack and 50 sets of tyres - needless to say, P6 and P7.

New generation tyres

P6 and P7 mark the introduction of a new generation of the P6000 family which was unveiled in 1995 and has been a reference point for the whole industry, both in the Replacement and Original Equipment markets. To date, P6000 and P6000 Powergy have achieved sales in excess of 40 million and are Pirelli's all-time most successful tyres in O.E. It is not surprising, therefore, that Pirelli has an overall 16% of Europe's HVZ car tyre market, with a progressively higher concentration in the ultra-high performance sector.

P6 and P7 will be positioned as " top-of-the-range" products, giving the Company an even greater competitive edge in a sector that has a double figure growth rate. The target is to build upon the success achieved by P6000 and P Zero, thereby reinforcing Pirelli's technological leadership and market share in the European V/Z market segment.

The P6 and P7 designations are a deliberate throwback to names that established Pirelli's reputation throughout the world of performance motoring: the first Pirelli P7, created in 1974 for the world championship-winning Lancia Stratos rally car, is considered the founder father of ultra-high performance car tyres derived from motor sport and has many world championship victories to its credit. The Pirelli P6, introduced in 1977, became the embodiment of the " ultra-low profile" amongst car manufacturers. A new and modern concept of " safety with high performance" evolved with the first P6 and P7: a philosophy that has remained ever since in the DNA of all Pirelli tyres.

Today, with the new P6 and P7, the " safety with high performance" concept becomes part of a new motoring generation. That of electronics, integrated control of the car's functions, global management of all the safety devices: control of the suspension, traction, stability and braking. P6 and P7 are the reliable solution to the demands of today's motoring.

Avant-garde design techniques

Pirelli P6 and P7 are the result of a single design effort, through which the Company decided to respond to the new demands of high performance motoring. That is how the STEP platform - Safety from Technical Engineering Profile - was born: a technological solution that provides for a particular type of profile, able to control deformation in the critical areas of the tyre, such as sidewalls and beads. The job of STEP is to guarantee optimum performance of the whole tyre structure and, above all, a better distribution of pressure in the road contact area. The impression at the wheel is one of great fluidity and of control, with a high degree of adaptability to the conditions in which the tyre is being used; qualities which remain constant throughout the tyre's life.
The development of the STEP technological platform also resulted in the adoption of the new " cap and base" low energy consumption tread compound: the " cap" mix, used for the upper strata of the tread, is 100% silica to guarantee grip in both wet and dry. The sub-strata or " base" of the compound is more rigid, and has been optimised to deliver the performance required of the tyre: softer to create the driving comfort of the P6, and more rigid to provide the sports driving grip of the P7.

The technological innovation, which has resulted in the P6 and P7, can also be seen in the work that has been carried out to lighten the tyres' structure - to the advantage of the whole wheel system - to improve the tread's footprint in contact with the road. The outcome is 10% more even wear, compared to tyres of the previous generation, which goes with a global improvement in rolling resistance. It is the patented Pirelli Ultra-Low Rolling Resistance system, which involves the belt as much as it does the sidewall compound and carcass, in a single system of great flexibility.

Pirelli P6, technological safety

Designed for MPVs and latest generation saloons, Pirelli P6 represents a choice clearly oriented towards comfort and quiet running. A safe braking tyre, that is sure footed on wet asphalt, quiet and resistant to all types of road stress. P6 integrates itself well
with all the latest car safety systems, inspiring driver confidence throughout its life.

The perception of reliability that P6 generates comes from a reduction in rolling resistance and an equalised distribution of stresses in the tread footprint area to ensure consistent contact pressure. The advantages are substantial: more grip and stability in the wet and dry, and less tyre fatigue, to the advantage of mileage.

The tread pattern of the Pirelli P6 has substantial blocks, set with curved sipes for increased grip during braking. Integrated with continuous ribs, the two combine to enhance comfort and evenness of wear. The continuous longitudinal channels amplify the effectiveness and rapidity of water expulsion from the footprint area, while the full central rib facilitates changes in trajectory, guarantees stability and improves manoeuvrability.

Pirelli P7: (enjoyment through technology)

P7 means effectiveness in the wet, lateral grip and decisive braking, while guaranteeing the quiet running and even wear essential to the most modern and sophisticated sports cars.

The tyre's outstanding performance values are the result of much work perfecting the footprint area, now bigger and more uniform to guarantee greater resistance to aquaplaning, and a more effective response on wet asphalt. In addition, by better distribution of pressure in the footprint area, the tyre optimises rolling resistance and even wear: a safer performance for excellent driving fluidity.

The global efficiency of P7 is focused on safety on wet surfaces and driving at the limit. Equally important is its ability to constantly maintain these characteristics; even after much of its tread life has been used.

P7 has an elegant asymmetric tread pattern, in which the substantial innermost tread blocks, designed to improve braking and driving comfort, combine with longitudinal and curved transverse grooves for faster water ejection from the footprint area.
The outermost section of the tread has a full rib and rigid shoulder blocks to lessen the slip angle and maximise road holding in corners.