Technological Evolution in Racing: From P Zero to P7000
Fifty years after its last victory, Pirelli made a remarkable comeback in 1980 when the German champion Walter Röhrl won the 48th Monte Carlo Rally in his Fiat 131 Abarth. His victory was not only a milestone for the Turin-based car manufacturer, which hadn’t topped the podium since 1928, but also a triumph for Pirelli, whose tyres were fitted not only to Röhrl’s 131 but also to four other cars that came high in the rankings.
Thus began a decade filled with successes, both technologically and in sport. “More than a triumph”, declared Fatti e Notizie, in an article celebrating a series of wins at Monte Carlo—a title that in hindsight sounds prophetic. The spotlight, when it comes to tyre innovation, once again shone on the Pirelli P7 in its various different versions.
Victory upon victory. And they continued to come, as a quartet of cars—this time Lancia—all fitted with Pirelli tyres, snatched the first four places in the Tour de Corse and then also in the rally in Greece. Sporting victories with an exceptional scorecard: in 1980 Pirelli celebrated its 50th victory since the world championship started in 1972. A record that speaks volumes about the advanced technology behind these competitions. In 1983, this remarkable synergy between car and tyres reached new heights as Walter Röhrl drove his Pirelli-fitted Lancia 037 to victory at Monte Carlo. The triumph was made even more significant by the fact that another two Lancia 037s, also fitted with “Long P” tyres, securing second and third place. In 1983 and 1984, the Lancia 037 claimed no fewer than ten victories.
In the 1980s, Pirelli’s relentless race forward with its tyres showed no sign of slowing. Alongside its many victories, the company continued to combine racing and research. This was made clear in 1987 by Mario Mezzanotte, the head of technical development for sports activities, who remarked, “Starting from this year’s Sanremo Rally, the new Pirelli P Zero has increasingly made its mark. This tyre is fast becoming a symbol of the technological transfer from competition to production that Pirelli has always championed.” Here, the P Zero took the iconic four-wheel-drive Lancia Delta S4 to victory.
The way to get there was always the same: from the engineering labs to the world’s most challenging rally routes, and then to production cars worldwide. In advertising, the buzzword was now “Pirally”—seven letters that captured a world of passion and technological expertise. This term, often used by Pirelli in the 1990s, reflected the company’s prominent role in rally racing. This was evident right from the outset, when Carlos Sainz won the 59th Monte Carlo Rally in 1991, driving a Toyota Celica 4WD on Pirelli tyres. During a visit to Bicocca, executives from the Japanese automaker praised Pirelli’s technical, organisational, and logistical abilities. This recognition also appeared in the form of a trophy awarded to Carlo Banchieri, product director of Pirelli Tyre Holding.
The most coveted prizes, however, continued to come from the competitions themselves. In 1993, Gianfranco Cunico, driving a Ford fitted with Pirelli tyres, claimed victory at the Sanremo Rally. The stars on this occasion were the Pirelli R76 tyres, which were tough enough to handle temperature swings from 30°C on wet roads to 140°C on dry.
Yet the greatest year of the decade in rallying was 1994, which brought in a whole slew of triumphs: from the Sanremo Rally to that of Monte Carlo, through to the Acropolis Rally and to Corsica. Leading the way was almost always Carlos Sainz, who amassed an extraordinary series of top spots.
Riding the wave of its rally successes, Pirelli introduced the P7000 at Monza. The tyre became known as “the tyre with ferocious control”. Initially engineered and made to stand up to the rigours of racing, it later found its way onto road vehicles. As was pointed out in an article in Fatti e Notizie in 1995, “With P7000, Pirelli’s sporting tradition is once again available to the motorist.”
In 1997, Pirelli celebrated its hundredth World Rally Championship victory, winning across “three very different terrains: asphalt, rain, and snow at the Monte Carlo, icy dirt tracks and snow in Sweden, and rugged terrain, savannah, and river crossings in the Safari Rally.”
These victories were achieved thanks to “the constant reliability, amazing versatility and consistent performance of Pirelli tyres, irrespective of the surface or racing conditions.”
Fifty years after its last victory, Pirelli made a remarkable comeback in 1980 when the German champion Walter Röhrl won the 48th Monte Carlo Rally in his Fiat 131 Abarth. His victory was not only a milestone for the Turin-based car manufacturer, which hadn’t topped the podium since 1928, but also a triumph for Pirelli, whose tyres were fitted not only to Röhrl’s 131 but also to four other cars that came high in the rankings.
Thus began a decade filled with successes, both technologically and in sport. “More than a triumph”, declared Fatti e Notizie, in an article celebrating a series of wins at Monte Carlo—a title that in hindsight sounds prophetic. The spotlight, when it comes to tyre innovation, once again shone on the Pirelli P7 in its various different versions.
Victory upon victory. And they continued to come, as a quartet of cars—this time Lancia—all fitted with Pirelli tyres, snatched the first four places in the Tour de Corse and then also in the rally in Greece. Sporting victories with an exceptional scorecard: in 1980 Pirelli celebrated its 50th victory since the world championship started in 1972. A record that speaks volumes about the advanced technology behind these competitions. In 1983, this remarkable synergy between car and tyres reached new heights as Walter Röhrl drove his Pirelli-fitted Lancia 037 to victory at Monte Carlo. The triumph was made even more significant by the fact that another two Lancia 037s, also fitted with “Long P” tyres, securing second and third place. In 1983 and 1984, the Lancia 037 claimed no fewer than ten victories.
In the 1980s, Pirelli’s relentless race forward with its tyres showed no sign of slowing. Alongside its many victories, the company continued to combine racing and research. This was made clear in 1987 by Mario Mezzanotte, the head of technical development for sports activities, who remarked, “Starting from this year’s Sanremo Rally, the new Pirelli P Zero has increasingly made its mark. This tyre is fast becoming a symbol of the technological transfer from competition to production that Pirelli has always championed.” Here, the P Zero took the iconic four-wheel-drive Lancia Delta S4 to victory.
The way to get there was always the same: from the engineering labs to the world’s most challenging rally routes, and then to production cars worldwide. In advertising, the buzzword was now “Pirally”—seven letters that captured a world of passion and technological expertise. This term, often used by Pirelli in the 1990s, reflected the company’s prominent role in rally racing. This was evident right from the outset, when Carlos Sainz won the 59th Monte Carlo Rally in 1991, driving a Toyota Celica 4WD on Pirelli tyres. During a visit to Bicocca, executives from the Japanese automaker praised Pirelli’s technical, organisational, and logistical abilities. This recognition also appeared in the form of a trophy awarded to Carlo Banchieri, product director of Pirelli Tyre Holding.
The most coveted prizes, however, continued to come from the competitions themselves. In 1993, Gianfranco Cunico, driving a Ford fitted with Pirelli tyres, claimed victory at the Sanremo Rally. The stars on this occasion were the Pirelli R76 tyres, which were tough enough to handle temperature swings from 30°C on wet roads to 140°C on dry.
Yet the greatest year of the decade in rallying was 1994, which brought in a whole slew of triumphs: from the Sanremo Rally to that of Monte Carlo, through to the Acropolis Rally and to Corsica. Leading the way was almost always Carlos Sainz, who amassed an extraordinary series of top spots.
Riding the wave of its rally successes, Pirelli introduced the P7000 at Monza. The tyre became known as “the tyre with ferocious control”. Initially engineered and made to stand up to the rigours of racing, it later found its way onto road vehicles. As was pointed out in an article in Fatti e Notizie in 1995, “With P7000, Pirelli’s sporting tradition is once again available to the motorist.”
In 1997, Pirelli celebrated its hundredth World Rally Championship victory, winning across “three very different terrains: asphalt, rain, and snow at the Monte Carlo, icy dirt tracks and snow in Sweden, and rugged terrain, savannah, and river crossings in the Safari Rally.”
These victories were achieved thanks to “the constant reliability, amazing versatility and consistent performance of Pirelli tyres, irrespective of the surface or racing conditions.”
