Slicks for all classes for the first time in WorldSBK

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The Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, which has reached its thirty-third edition, the seventeenth consecutive with Pirelli as the Official Sole Supplier of tyres for all classes, again commences at Phillip Island, Australia. The season opens with the official tests of February 24th and 25th and subsequently with the race weekend scheduled from February 28th to March 1stthat involves the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes.

For the first year ever, the WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 classes will also use slick tyres, with the WorldSSP class starting from Phillip Island while the WorldSSP300 class opens at the Jerez event.

The Phillip Island circuit has always been one of the most demanding circuits on the WorldSBK calendar because tyres are exposed to strong and constant thermo-mechanical work, especially on the left side.

In Phillip Island, we note a localised overheating on the tyre surface which at the same time also occurs on during maximum lean angle. This generates different forces with very strong torsional stresses. The peculiarity of the Australian track is that it generates both a mechanical and a thermal stress to which the tyres are constantly subjected.

The famous Southern Loop is the longest parabolic of the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, which requires ‘full throttle’, with a fixed lean angle for an extended period. Under these conditions, the tyre is forced to work for some time with mechanical stresses located on a small tread surface and, in that area of continuous use, there is a rapid increase in temperature.

Also this year Pirelli has developed various solutions designed to counter the multiple pitfalls of the Australian circuit and which will be tested by both the WorldSBK and WorldSSP class during the two test days preceding the race.

Test solutions for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes

In the WorldSBK class, in addition to the intermediate and wet tyres that are always present in case of adverse weather, the riders will have four slick solutions, two front and two rear. The front options are the standard SC1 in soft compound and the standard SC2 in medium compound in the sizes 125/70, the only front size available this season.

As for the rear options, the riders will have two compounds available only in size 200/65: the development SC1 W1049, developed specifically for the Australian track and reference solution in previous years, and the development SC1 Y1093, which thanks to a reinforced structure allows better thrust during acceleration, allowing greater stability.

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WorldSSP

In the WorldSSP class, the riders will test for the first time on Pirelli slick tyres and will have two front and one rear solutions available. For the front, there will be the standard SC1 and SC2 in sizes 120/70. At the rear the riders will try the development SC1 Y1006 in the increased size 190/60, the only rear size for the 600 class.

It is an evolution in the slick version of the development SC1 U1149: a treaded solution and reference in the past editions with a compound able to guarantee greater stability during high temperatures. Lastly, there will be the development SC1 Y1035,with a new profile and structure to improve the contact patch and stability under acceleration, as well as performance consistency.

Since Pirelli has never used the new slick tyres developed for the 600 class on this circuit, the Italian company will evaluate the best strategy to be put in place for the race, based on the results and data obtained during the tests.

Pirelli Test solutions for Phillip Island

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