Following a very successful opening round of the FIA World Endurance (WEC) in April, Dunlop teams head to Belgium for the 6 Hours of Spa on Saturday 7th May. This is the final race opportunity for data gathering before the all-important Le Mans 24 Hours race in June.
The first WEC round at Silverstone saw Dunlop caps on nine of the 15 podiums, the first time since WEC began in 2012 that Dunlop drivers have claimed top three finishes in all four classes. Dunlop’s all-new 2016 tyre range was tested with temperatures as low as four degrees and snow, hindering progress at Silverstone ,and Spa is well know for its changeable, cold and wet conditions.
Dunlop has allocated soft and medium options for the LMP2 teams, a change from the medium and medium-plus of 2015. The changes to the tyre package debuted at Silverstone proved that the 2016 soft and medium range is capable of double and triple stinting. The wider operating range and enhanced durability gives the potential for improved performance with the softer compounds at Spa.
The Aston Martin Racing LMGTE Am car will also have the medium and medium-plus compounds as used at Silverstone, while its sister LMGTE Pro cars and the LMP1 privateers (Rebellion and ByKolles) continue to use Dunlop confidential tyres that are unlimited in terms of specification.
Mike McGregor, Dunlop Manager Testing & Track Support : « Silverstone brought us fantastic results. We had two Aston Martins making their Dunlop podium debut against very strong competition, the LMP2 for RGR Sport by Morand winning on their first race and the overall podium for Rebellion Racing.
« Looking ahead to Spa, we are not only working with our teams for more wins, podiums and points, it is also a great opportunity for our teams to prepare for Le Mans. Spa has some similarities to the Le Mans track, with high speed straights and corners, so the data is very useful in advance of the 24 hour race in June. »
The 6 Hours of Spa round of the FIA World Endurance Championship starts at 14.30 CEST on Saturday 7th May.
Dunlop WEC 2016 Tyres
LMP1 Confidential tyre range full range for all conditions
- Dunlop’s return to LMP1 competition for the first time since 2012
- Two Rebellion Racing cars and one Bykolles Racing Team CLM
- Tyres permitted per 6 hour event: 10 sets plus two single tyres
Dunlop has developed new tyres for these teams and is allowed to continue development throughout the year. While the number of tyres for each event are restricted there can be changes to specifications for following events.
LMP2 Set specification (soft, medium, medium-plus, intermediate, wet)
- Open tyre competition
- All 11 Silverstone entries have chosen Dunlop tyres
- Two out of three dry specifications nominated per event
- Soft and medium dry weather options nominated for Silverstone
- Tyres permitted per 6 hour event: 7 sets plus two single tyres
The LMP2 range is completely new, developing from the strong 2015 performance but providing a wider operating window and greater consistency.
LMGTE Pro Confidential tyre range full range for all conditions
- Bespoke product for Aston Martin Racing
- Two car entry
- Tyres permitted per 6 hour event: 10 sets plus two single tyres
The LMGTE Pro range will continue to be developed throughout the season.
LMGTE Am Set specification (soft, medium, medium-plus, intermediate, wet)
- Single car entry
- Specification for full season will be current LMGTE Pro specification
- Tyres permitted per 6 hour event: 10 sets plus two single tyres
James Bailey