New Pirelli Scorpion tyre makes WRC debut

Pirelli’s latest Scorpion tyre for gravel will make its debut on a World Rally Car at the Rally Portugal next weekend, from April 3-6.

The Scorpion name has not been seen at the very top level of rallying since Pirelli ended its exclusive supply contract with the World Rally Championship in 2010. Now, the brand new Scorpion tyre will be seen on the privately-run Ford Fiesta RS WRC of Henning Solberg. The Norwegian previously used Pirelli’s Sottozero tyre to win a stage on Rally Sweden with the same car in February – on only the second event of Pirelli’s comeback.

The challenge on round four of the world championship, held on gravel roads close to Faro, is very different – but following Solberg’s outing on snow and ice in Sweden, this will still be only the second appearance for a Pirelli tyre on a World Rally Car this year.