Pirelli tyre to make second appearance at French WorldSBK

Pirelli’s tyre allocation for the French WorldSBK includes two development options, one of which has been used only twice before.

The allocation of rear tyres for the Magny-Cours World Superbike round on 5–7 September includes the standard SC0 tyre as well as the E0126 version of the SCX which has become popular since it was introduced back in Assen.

The E0479 development version of the SCQ will also be present in Magny-Cours having been brought to two race weekends before. The first was at Misano back in May, where it was used in Superpole but not by everyone in the Superpole Race.

The Sunday morning 10-lapper was won by Toprak Razgatlioglu on a development SCX rear tyre in Misano, but Alex Lowes used the E0479 to finish second.

The tyre was also present in Hungary, where tyre choice for the Superpole Race was complicated by rain on Sunday morning that resulted in damp and patchy track conditions.

Magny-Cours is likely to offer lower temperatures than Misano almost four months ago, temperatures could be into the high-20s by Sunday.

The SC0 was a popular tyre in France last year when temperatures were in the low-to-mid-20s, but Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director Giorgio Barbier expects the E0126 to perform well on the French track’s low-grip surface.

“The Magny-Cours circuit is characterised by a smooth and non-abrasive asphalt, which offers little grip and makes the work of the tyres particularly delicate,” Barbier said.

“In similar contexts, the E0126 supersoft has already proven to be an effective solution, offering the excellent level of grip of the SCX combined with high consistency of performance thanks to the new development casing.

“In the three rounds in which it has been used, it has been widely appreciated, being the main choice for the long races and, in Cremona, also for the Superpole Race.

“If the asphalt temperatures are adequate, Magny-Cours will be an ideal opportunity to gather further confirmation on a very special track, which connects a mix of corners and chicanes inspired by the most iconic sections of other famous circuits.

“Last year, with temperatures between 20 and 27°C, the standard SC0 was also used by several riders: it will therefore be interesting to see what conditions arise and what technical choices emerge.

“However, we are confident that this allocation will allow us to cover a wide range of conditions.

“As already at Misano and Balaton, the development E0479 will also be available at Magny-Cours, with SCQ compound, dedicated to qualifying and the short race.

“In the Italian [Misano] round, when the conditions allowed it, [it] gave excellent feedback both in terms of time and feeling from the riders.”