Larini back on Yokohama dry tyres in qualifying at Monza today
NEW YOKOHAMA WTCC WET TYRE FOR 2008


Media information: 06 October 2007


After extensive testing, Yokohama ADVAN today announced it will introduce a new wet tyre to the FIA World Touring Car Championship in 2008.

It comes as the technology incorporated in the S2000 cars becomes more and more advanced since their debut in 2002, with innovations including the introduction of the Diesel TDi and the proposed use of bio-fuels from next year.

In response, Yokohama has developed a completely new mould and introduced a stiffer construction to its wet tyre. It was put to the test by Chevrolet's Nicola Larini and BMW's Augusto Farfus at a UK test at Snetterton in the run up to the Brands Hatch round last month.

"The tyre was three or four-tenths faster than the standard one," said Larini, who completed a race simulation at the test on both the old and new tyres. "The conditions were not 100% wet; it was like a simulation as in Anderstorp, where the circuit became dry through the race. At Snetterton, on the new wet tyre, I could drive a lot of kilometres in the dry conditions without any trouble, which is pretty impressive."

After the test Yokohama's data showed a good balance between the front and rear-wheel-drive cars of the Chevrolet and BMW respectively.

"We plan to give each team a set of tyres to test in the post-season because the characteristics are slightly different," said Yokohama's Technical Consultant, Ian Beveridge. "They are not so far removed from the current model, but to maximise performance I anticipate some adjustments in chassis tuning and tyre pressure."

Having today received FIA technical approval, the new tyres will be in use from the first WTCC round in 2008.

"I am very happy with the work Yokohama has done," said Marcello Lotti, Chief Executive of KSO, which promotes the championship.

"Their investment in WTCC demonstrates the value of the championship and the high technological level we're operating at."