Pirelli's new 'Scorpion' tyre will make its first appearance in the WRC on the Corona Rally Mexico this weekend, the third round in the series and the first gravel event of '08.
The event, which takes place on roads around Leon, will make an excellent test bed for the specialised rubber that Pirelli has developed for the gravel events.
Furthermore as gravel is the most common surface on this year's championship - comprising 10 of the 15 events - the importance of this all-new tyre cannot be underestimated.
Drawing on the information gained from national rally championship events in countries such as Greece and Turkey, the 'Scorpion' tyre incorporates reinforced sidewalls to resist cuts and punctures - something that is essential now that anti-deflation mousse has been prohibited, as well as deeper tread blocks to improve the tyre's durability and a new tread block pattern in order to help the car react more progressively whilst cornering.
Pirelli rally manager, Mario Isola is confident that the Scorpion tyre should provide the drivers' with a consistent level of performance.
"In Mexico, like many of the gravel events this year, all the four-wheel drive cars will use a hard compound of rubber that has been extensively tested over the course of last season," he explained.
"Mexico will be the first time though that the Scorpion tyre will have to deal with rocky terrain, on long stages that can become particularly difficult during the second run.
"In order to counteract punctures and tyre wear - the two principal enemies of all rubber in these conditions - we have come armed with a product that encapsulates all our collected know-how of run-flat technology, specially adapted for these very extreme conditions. Along with our ecologically-friendly compounds, these new tyres should guarantee consistent performance over many kilometres of running."
