Yokohama Develops One-off Tire for WTCR Nurburgring Race
Feeling the pressure from drivers after tire issues at the Nurburgring, Yokohama creates a new tire for this year’s race.
For this year's 2018 World Touring Car Cup Nurburgring race, Yokohoma developed a new one-off tire after previous tire issues at the track. In 2016, Tiago Monteiro was leading the race during the Nurburgring round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship when his Civic's Yokohama tire exploded. In 2012 WTCC championship winner Rob Huff also had a tire blow out. Both drivers openly criticized the Yokohoma tires and the company was forced to defend its tires.
"We only come here once a year, so it's a unique set of circumstances which we try to manage with the teams," Yokohama Technical Consultant Ian Beveridge told Autosport. "There are so many things that can catch the cars and the tyres out here; kerbs, rough parts, lots of compressions with the aero, long, long fast straights, which just produce a set of circumstances. I think we have a better understanding of what to do now."
The tire mixture of rubber will not change and the construction is not changed, but the tire compound is said to be more durable and safer. Yokohoma claims the new tire is self-regulating and develops its optimum performance at a specific tire pressure. The tires have been race tested at the Nurburgring already during a VLN race mounted to an Audi RS3 LMS.
Starting with the 2018 season, the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) became the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR). The FIA World Touring Car Cup Race of Germany at the Nurburgring is May 10-12.