Pirelli will be at the hundredth edition of the 24h of Spa as the sole tire supplier. The endurance race which will take place on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 June on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, widely considered the university of motorsport, is one of the largest events in the world with a single tire supplier and requires an organizational effort from Pirelli and unrivaled staff.
In fact, the Italian company will not only equip the 66 cars entered in the Belgian round of the GT World Challenge Europe and International GT Challenge but also all the cars of the three support championships GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli, GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy Europe as well as some of the historic models that will participate in the two revival series, Endurance Racing Legend and Heritage Touring Cup.
The extraordinary number of cars managed next weekend has no comparison in any other event of the car championships with which the long P company collaborates and requires the presence of over 150 Pirelli people, coming from offices in three different continents, belonging to different company functions, from the more technical areas to the marketing and commercial divisions.
A seasoned team, also supported by personnel in training, which for ten editions has been a fundamental cog in the machine of the SRO-branded 24 Hours of Spa.
All the GT3s entered in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, from nine different car manufacturers (divided into five classes based on the experience of the crews), are fitted with P Zero DHF and Cinturato WHA tyres, for dry and wet track respectively.
The largest family consists of 14 Mercedes-AMGs, followed by 12 Porsche 911s. The 2023 title will be defended by 7 BMW M4s. The Aston Martin Vantage AMR, Ford Mustang, Ferrari 296, Lamborghini Huracan, McLaren 720S and Audi R8 LMS complete the grid.
Pirelli Cinturato WHB
Photo by: Pirelli
Each car has a maximum of 30 sets of dry tires available for the entire race weekend. During qualifying sessions, each driver can only use one set of tires (specifically assigned to him) per session. Cars entering Superpole have an additional set that must be returned at the end of the session.
However, wet tires have no number limits during the weekend. Each team is free to choose independently when to mount them in the race, if the track is declared wet. The use of systems to pre-heat the tires is permitted.
The nerve center of the 24h of Spa is the area reserved for Pirelli tyres, in the center of the paddock. On the twelve assembly lines, the tires are monitored in real time at every stage of the manufacturing process. Starting from the requests entered by the teams through touch screen totems, a proprietary IT system sorts the tires onto the different lines based on the availability and workload of each.
Through the screens in the pits, the teams can follow the different assembly phases and know when the sets are ready for collection. Tracking allows mechanics to continue operations in the garage in the meantime and thus reduce waiting times, optimizing team resources.
Action on the track
Photo by: AG Photo
“Endurance races are usually based on the reliability of the cars and the ability to maintain the consistency of the performance of the entire car-tyre package and the 24 Hours of Spa is no exception. The latest editions have shown us that the podium is contested until the final stages of the race: last year the first three places were within about ten seconds”, declared Matteo Braga, Pirelli’s manager for circuit activities.
“In such a scenario, the tires must guarantee long-lasting performance throughout the stint but also achieve performance peaks when necessary. An arduous challenge on a track like Spa-Francorchamps with long straights and fast corners that apply considerable forces on the tires “.
“The Ardennes forest in which the circuit is located also makes the weather very uncertain. It is not unusual to have very hot conditions, followed by heavy rain and drastic drops in temperatures.”
“The teams must therefore find a way to compensate for all the environmental variations to try to stay within the performance window of the tyres, even in the case of a wet or drying track or with the harsh conditions of the night. A task that is not easy but which however makes the difference during the race.”
Pirelli Cinturato WHB
Photo by: Pirelli
This year a further unknown is represented by the resurfacing of large parts of the route. The surface has been redone in a long stretch that begins with the Blanchimont bend, passes the Bus Stop chicane and ends at the Source. The Kemmel straight, the Les Combes curves, the Rivage and the Stavelot curves were also resurfaced.
Drivers will therefore find conditions different from those they have become accustomed to in the last three years which could also influence the performance of the cars, reducing lap times. The collection of data in the test sessions planned in these days therefore becomes fundamental.
The Belgian flag that will kick off the 24h of Spa will be waved on Saturday at 4.30pm by Jacky Ickx, legend of Endurance racing. The four qualifying sessions and night free practice are on Thursday starting at 8.35pm.
The Superpole is scheduled for Friday at 3.45pm and the warm up at 8.10pm. The event is the third and penultimate round of the International GT Challenge and the fourth round of the GTWC Europe, a series provided exclusively by Pirelli.
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