Westlake joins Red Bull Driftbrothers as new tyre partner

Chinese tyre manufacturer ZC Rubber has announced a new partnership with the Red Bull Driftbrothers, with its Westlake Performance Tyres brand becoming the team’s official supplier and tyre partner.

The successful German motorsport team now relies on Westlake Sport RS tyres for its two 1,000 hp BMW M4 drift cars.

The new co-operation celebrated its premiere at this year’s ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring. In the pre-programme of the race, the Red Bull Driftbrothers completed a show drift in its new Westlake-shod BMW cars.

Due to the high track temperatures, the Westlake Sport RS tyres were particularly challenged. The choice of tyres generally plays a decisive role in drifting, as maximum consistent grip and control are required for the high-precision manoeuvres.

ZC Rubber says its partnership with the Red Bull Driftbrothers is set up for the long-term and offers both sides numerous added values. Providing the team with tyres will, among other things, serve technological development based on feedback from driver Elias Hountondji.

In addition, ZC Rubber aims to use the partnership to further increase awareness of the Westlake brand on the European market. The demonstration of the quality and performance of the products and technologies under extreme conditions is also a clear signal to the OEM and replacement market in Europe, according to the company.

Henry Shen, deputy general manager of Zhongce Rubber Group (ZC Rubber) said: “We’re proud to be the tyre partner of Red Bull Driftbrothers. Their trust in Westlake, especially the performance of our Sport RS on the demanding drift circuit, is a powerful endorsement. This partnership is built on a shared drive to push boundaries, and we’re excited to support their passion with our technology on the global stage.”

Elias Hountondji, driver and engineer of Red Bull Driftbrothers added: “We are very excited about the partnership with Westlake Performance Tyres and ZC Rubber. Tyres are crucial for our sport. They have to withstand extreme abuse while providing a consistently high level of grip right to the end. The Westlake Sport RS is the perfect choice for this. It is extremely stable across the entire temperature range and the entire tread depth. Even with a very low tread pattern, you still have complete confidence as a driver.”