The new ‘Scorpion’ tire passes its test in Mexico

Peter Tyson, Pirelli’s motorsport marketing director, expressed being ‘very satisfied’ with the performance of the manufacturer’s new gravel tire at the Rally Mexico.

The new Scorpion tire will be used for all ‘gravel’ surface events in 2008. It was the third different type of tire introduced by the manufacturer in as many events since the start of the season. It followed the PZero (Tarmac – snow) at the Monte-Carlo Rally and the Sottozero (Snow – ice) at the Swedish Rally.

« They passed a very difficult test: driving on these rock-strewn special stages at high temperatures and at a pace as fast as the Citroën, Subaru, and Ford drivers », explains the spokesperson for the Italian brand.

According to our latest reports, the drivers and teams have expressed satisfaction with this new tire. It’s another demonstration of the qualities of our Pirelli tires, Peter Tyson rejoices.

Before the start, some drivers wondered if the new tires – most of them used BFGoodrich (Michelin) tires last year – would withstand the tough Mexican terrain, especially without the anti-puncture foam, which is now banned. But by the end of the weekend, the feedback put the debate to rest: The winner, Sébastien Loeb (Citroen), explains: “To tell the truth, there isn’t much to say because the new tires worked well according to me. End of story.”

Despite the good performance of its tires, Henning Solberg (Munchi’s) and Mikko Hirvonen (BP Ford) suffered punctures during the rally, reminding the technicians that the tires were not indestructible.