Electric GT (EGT) Championship, the first ever 100 per cent zero emissions GT championship, confirms a technical partnership with Pirelli to develop its race tyres for the series.
This will be the first time that both slick and wet tyre compounds are supplied specifically for electric race cars. Pirelli will become a key technology partner for the EGT Championship, with the 20 identical race-prepared Tesla Model S version P85+ cars set to get going in 2017.
The series aims to create exciting racing while being environmentally friendly. The EGT Championship will travel to seven permanent European circuits including the Nurburgring (Germany), Circuit Paul Ricard (France) and Donington Park (UK), as well as hosting three non-championship race events in the Americas.
As a world leader in sustainability for manufacturing, Pirelli’s agreement with the EGT Championship is paramount in ensuring that the series and its machines meet efficiency and safety requirements as well as achieving high performance.
Mark Gemmell, Electric GT Championship CEO, said: “We are very proud to welcome Pirelli on board, supporting our ground-breaking championship.
“We are looking forward to a close and innovative relationship with the world leader in ultra high-performance tyres, both for the road and in motorsport. These are exciting times and I cannot wait for testing to start in earnest.
“This is our first major partner announcement and we are currently in discussions with other exciting key companies which we hope to confirm within the coming weeks.”
Paul Hembrey, Pirelli motorsport director, said: “We are delighted to join the Electric GT Championship, which underlines our commitment to both sustainability and performance in an innovative context. We already supply Tesla with original equipment for its latest model and it’s exciting to see a new manufacturer brand represented in motorsport, through the launch of a completely new championship.”
Pirelli will supply dedicated P Zero competition tyres to the new series, directly derived from the Italian firm’s know-how and experience in GT racing. These tyres will have to perform within a different range of parameters compared to more ‘conventional’ racing cars, because of the unique torque characteristics of electric vehicles.
The first race spec Tesla Model S has now entered the final stages of development and will start an extensive test programme within the next few weeks.
About Electric GT Championship – New zero emissions motorsport category promoting sustainable mobility
The championship was announced on 9 March 2016, with the Tesla Model S chosen for the first season, which will get underway in 2017. There will be 10 teams and 20 drivers, who will compete across seven races during season one. Weekends will consist of a 20-minute practice session, 30-minute qualifying, a day race (60km) and a dusk race (60km). Each round will be a weekend-long festival of technology and innovation for sustainability, in and around the circuits. Fans will be able to stream races via Periscope, Twitch and YouTube, as well as interact directly with the teams using social media platforms.
