Pirelli makes DTM debut with P Zero DHF

Pirelli is looking back on a successful debut in the DTM – one of the world’s top international motorsport competitions, which the Italian tyre manufacturer was sole supplier of.

In the two races of the first event of the season held at the Oschersleben circuit in Germany and won by Franck Perera (Lamborghini) and Christian Engelhart (Porsche) respectively, the new P Zero DHF tyres ensured reliability and performance for the 28 drivers and 14 teams in the competition, who are said to have appreciated their versatility both in qualifying and in the race.

Adaptability to the most diverse cars and conditions are cited by Pirelli as the main characteristics of the DHF, the specification of Pirelli’s P Zero family dedicated to GT cars, which last year was completely redesigned.

The P Zero DHF is a brand-new design compared to previous tyres, developed to accompany the non-stop evolution of the latest GT cars while putting a bigger emphasis on sustainability compared to its predecessors, according to Pirelli.

At Oschersleben, race conditions were dry on both Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures around 20 degrees. For the tyres, the biggest challenge came from the tortuous layout of the track with medium-slow sections and sudden changes of direction that also put the mechanics of the cars to the test.

“We are very satisfied with the performance of our tyres in the first seasonal event of such a prestigious championship, which offers us an exceptional stage in a key market like Germany,” said Matteo Braga, Pirelli circuit activities manager.

“We and the teams have drawn valuable indications for the continuation of the season, and we have collected a lot of data that we have already started to analyse carefully.

“It is still early to draw definitive conclusions, but I can say that our product has confirmed its great adaptability, which has allowed all the drivers to find themselves in a position to compete for top positions with gaps of a few tenths of a second,” he added.