2020 WorldSBK: Slicks in all classes for the first time
Pirelli returns to the track for the 2020 WorldSBK Championship season, the first year with slick tyres in all classes. The Milanese brand will be present at Phillip Island, Australia, as the sole supplier of tyres for all the classes of the production based Championship.
This year will see Pirelli be the official WorldSBK tyre supplier for the 17th consecutive season!
For the first year ever, the WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 classes will also use slick tyres, with the WorldSSP class starting from Phillip Island while the WorldSSP300 class opens at the Jerez event.
The Phillip Island circuit has always been one of the most demanding circuits on the WorldSBK calendar because tyres are exposed to strong and constant thermo-mechanical work, especially on the left side.
The Phillip Island circuit is notorious for placing large amounts of stress on the tyres, with Pirelli developing new solutions this season.
At Phillip Island, we note a localised overheating on the tyre surface which at the same time also occurs during maximum lean angle. This generates different forces with very strong torsional stresses. The peculiarity of the Australian track is that it generates both a mechanical and a thermal stress to which the tyres are constantly subjected.
The famous Southern Loop is the longest parabolic of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, which requires ‘full throttle’, with a fixed lean angle for an extended period. Under these conditions, the tyre is forced to work for some time with mechanical stresses located on a small tread surface and, in that area of continuous use, there is a rapid increase in temperature.
This year, Pirelli has developed various solutions designed to counter the multiple pitfalls of the Australian circuit and which will be tested by both the WorldSBK and WorldSSP class during the two test days preceding the race.
Test solutions for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes
In the WorldSBK class, in addition to the intermediate and wet tyres that are always present in case of adverse weather, the riders will have four slick solutions, two front and two rear.
The front options are the standard SC1 in soft compound and the standard SC2 in medium compound in the sizes 125/70, the only front size available this season.
The Phillip Island circuit the first stop for the World Superbike Championship, kicking off the 2020 season.
As for the rear options, the riders will have two compounds available only in size 200/65: the development SC1 W1049, developed specifically for the Australian track and reference solution in previous years, and the development SC1 Y1093, which thanks to a reinforced structure allows better thrust during acceleration, allowing greater stability.
In the WorldSSP class, the riders will test for the first time on Pirelli slick tyres and will have two front and one rear solutions available. For the front, there will be the standard SC1 and SC2 in sizes 120/70. At the rear the riders will try the development SC1 Y1006 in the increased size 190/60, the only rear size for the 600 class.
Every class competing at Phillip Island this weekend will use Pirelli slicks, including the SSP300 classes.
It is an evolution in the slick version of the development SC1 U1149: a treaded solution and reference in the past editions with a compound able to guarantee greater stability during high temperatures. Lastly, there will be the development SC1 Y1035,with a new profile and structure to improve the contact patch and stability under acceleration, as well as performance consistency.
Since Pirelli has never used the new slick tyres developed for the 600 class on this circuit, the Italian company will evaluate the best strategy to be put in place for the race, based on the results and data obtained during the tests.
2019 Pirelli statistics for Phillip Island:
- Number of solutions (including dry, intermediate and wet) for the WorldSBK class: 5 front and 7 rear
- Number of tyres available to each WorldSBK rider: 39 front and 37 rear
- Number of solutions for the WorldSSP class (including dry, intermediate and wet): 4 front and 4 rear
- Number of tyres available for each WorldSSP rider: 24 front and 23 rear
- Best Lap Award WorldSBK both won by: Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R),in 1’30.884 (Race 1, 3rd lap) and in 1’30.573 (Race 2, 2nd lap)
- Best Lap Award WorldSSP won by: Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team / Yamaha YZF R6), in 1’33.267 al 9th lap
- Temperature in Race 1: air 21° C, asphalt 46° C
- Temperature in Race 2: air 28° C, asphalt 50° C
- Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike: 326.3 km/h in Tissot Superpole Race by Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at 2nd lap
- Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Supercorsa SC tyes in Supersport race: 277.6 km/h, by Raffaele de Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse / MV Agusta F3 675) at 2nd lap
The opening round of the WorldSBK kicked off yesterday, but it isn’t too late to get tickets!
Tickets will be available at the gate, or you can book them by clicking on the ad below.
For the full weekend race schedule, click here.
