Dunlop has announced the introduction of an all-new range of race tyres specifically designed for the growing range of GTE category cars eligible for the 2015 Professional MotorSport World Expo Awards winner, the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
Dunlop’s objective was to build on the learnings from the first year of the new ELMS tire regulations, which replaced 2015’s ‘open tire’ rules with a singular control tire.
Dunlop’s new GTE range has been designed to continue the parity, consistency and durability needed for a diverse range cars, but with improvements to the rear profile and compounds designed to give drivers more confidence in braking and high speed directional change stability.
The tire range has already proven to be a step forward in tests with various models of car currently used in ELMS. Teams representing BMW, Ferrari and Porsche have already tested the tires and ELMS newcomers, Beechdean, will test them in Bahrain later this month.
Dunlop and ELMS have also agreed to introduce an ‘Intermediate’ tire option into the championship for the first time since the regulation changes. Dunlop states that this move will help reduce costs for teams, as they will not have to wear out wet tires on a semi-dry surface or risk gambling on slicks on a damp track.
“Dunlop will be inviting current and potential new GTE customers to try the new range of tires at our evaluation test in Aragon, Spain in March,” said Mike McGregor, manager, testing and track support. “Initial testing has provided positive feedback on the new range and will help customers preparing for the 24h of Le Mans as well as the major championships such as ELMS and WEC.”
