Track debut for a new Pirelli rear tyre. It will all happen in a few days, in seventh round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, which will be held in Portugal from 9 to 11 August and of which Pirelli itself is the Event Main Sponsor. On the occasion of the Pirelli Portuguese Round at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Pirelli has chosen to introduce a new rear development solution in soft SC0 compound, with D0661 specification, which represents an evolution in terms of robustness of the standard SC0 and which has been designed with the aim of maintaining constant performance thanks to improved resistance to wear.
The roller coaster debut
The southern Portuguese circuit is known for its steep climbs and descents, for which it is often informally called “the rollercoaster”. In addition to its particular layout, the high temperatures typical of the summer period make it a particularly demanding proving ground and therefore ideal for testing new solutions because it is a context in which the ability to manage the tires is crucial. For this same reason, as has already happened in previous editions, instead of the usual SCQ, for the qualifications and the Superpole Race the riders will have the standard SCX available.
A development SC0 for the possible August heat
“That of Portimão is not a circuit that stresses the tyres to the same extent as Most and Phillip Island, but it still has a unique layout. with an intense alternation of uphill and downhill curves, significant braking and some peculiarities to take into due consideration”, explain all Pirelli. “We have a lot of data available that comes from both the races of previous years and from the tests we did in January, but finding ourselves racing in the middle of August the high temperatures that the asphalt could reach represent a threat that should not be underestimated. The heat can in fact affect the grip of the track, generating sliding and therefore greater wear for the tyres. For this reason we believed that this was the ideal circuit to debut the new development SC0 in the D0661 specification which, while using the same compound as the standard SC0, features an evolution of the carcass. In a certain sense, it follows the philosophy already introduced with the SC1 in the D0286 specification that we brought to Most and that all the riders appreciated, both in the tests and in the race. Given the nature of the circuit, as has already happened in the past, we have also decided to replace the SCQ, usually allocated for qualifying and the Superpole Race, with the standard SCX which performs better in more critical conditions and can therefore also guarantee use in the Superpole Race”.
8 units each per pilot
For the front, in WorldSBK the SC1 and SC2 range combination will be proposed again, with 8 units each per driver. For the rear, in addition to 8 pieces of the aforementioned development SC0, there will also be 8 units of standard SC0 and 5 of standard SC1, while there will be 4 of the SCX intended for the Superpole and the Superpole Race. For WorldSSP, there will be 6 units of SC1 and the same number of SC2 for the front, which can be combined with SC1 or SC0 (in quantities of 7 and 4 pieces respectively) at the rear. All the solutions for this last class are standard.
Very high temperature peaks in the last corner
“The track was resurfaced in 2020, but still has a rather low chemical grip and therefore poor adhesion. The resulting spinning exposes the rear tires, and in particular the right shoulder, to frequent and high temperature variations. The last corner is the most representative in this sense: being taken in constant acceleration, it generates very high temperature peaks. At the same time, in “stop & go” type corners that require very intense braking and recovery, the opposite problem can occur, that is, that in the acceleration phase the tire is colder than optimal. Turns 5 and 13, both left, are the two most emblematic in this sense.”
Braking and stresses
“While the rear tyre is subjected to few but intense mechanical and thermal stresses, Front end speed and precision play a key role in slow, tight corners. The braking sections are sharp and often downhill or on a counter slope, with strong lateral and longitudinal loads. Among these, turn 1 is the most difficult and demanding: here the front must travel many meters in a lean and at the same time in braking, arriving at high speed from the long main straight (almost 1000 meters) and after a hump. Other demanding turns are turn 5, a left-hand hairpin on a counter slope downhill, and the sequence 10-11, which can put the front of the bike in crisis”.
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