Alcañiz, Spain,
08
July
2021
|
14:00 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

Goodyear looks ahead to first WTCR & PURE ETCR joint event

  • WTCR and PURE ETCR in action at Aragon
  • Spanish circuit hosts first joint event
  • Goodyear working closely with teams in both series

This weekend, Goodyear’s two top-level touring car championships hold their first joint event, bringing together the world’s best touring car racers in both petrol and electric-powered cars. With both WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup and PURE ETCR racing at Motorland Aragón in northern Spain, it is certain to be a packed weekend.

Goodyear is exclusive tyre supplier to both WTCR, the top level of international petrol-powered touring car racing, and PURE ETCR, the world’s first fully electric multi-brand touring car championship. Both series have already started their 2021 campaigns, with WTCR races at the Nürburgring, Germany; and Estoril, Portugal; while PURE ETCR began last month at Vallelunga, Italy. 

For the first of three times this year, the two series, which are both promoted by Eurosport Events, will come together and race on the same weekend. For drivers competing in both, it’s a challenge to switch from 360 hp front-wheel-drive petrol racers to 670 hp rear-wheel-drive electric cars. Part of Goodyear’s role as the exclusive tyre supplier is to help teams and drivers extract the maximum performance in both championships.

“We’ll talk to each team in WTCR and PURE ETCR throughout the weekend to assist with their car setup and driving style,” explains Sebastian Trinks, Goodyear’s Event Leader for WTCR and PURE ETCR. “We always recommend certain parameters that will maximise the performance of the tyre, and this could be particularly important this weekend, given the track conditions at Aragon. The weather forecast suggests track temperatures of up to 50°C and ambient temperatures of around 36°C. The track itself is quite rough and has a lot of high kerbs that we’ll recommend drivers avoid driving over. It’s a challenging, technical circuit, but there are lots of overtaking opportunities.”

PURE ETCR is based around short, flat-out battles, rather than traditional races. It therefore uses short circuits, and the layout chosen for Aragon is 2.6 km, with lots of left-hand corners that Trinks expects will put the strain on the rear-right tyre. In WTCR, meanwhile, drivers will use the full 5.3 km layout, which features a lot of tricky and technical corners, including the ‘Spanish corkscrew’. Most of the strain will be on the front-right tyre in WTCR, with the car’s weight distribution over the front end due to the front-wheel-drive setup. 

“Drivers can push the tyres to the limit in both championships, as long as they look out for the high kerbs,” adds Trinks. “Our slick tyre in WTCR and bespoke treaded tyre for PURE ETCR are designed specifically for the cars in question, to allow drivers and teams to push to their limits and improve lap times. 

“Some drivers are racing in both championships and I’m interested to see how they get on. Despite looking similar, these cars require completely different driving styles. For Goodyear, we’ll have a team of three track support engineers for the whole event, so we’ll all be working with teams in both series. This allows us to get a feel for the challenges faced by the teams, and continue working with them as the weekend progresses.”

On-track action at Aragon begins on Friday, with the first battles for PURE ETCR taking place that afternoon. Battles will also be held on Saturday, ahead of the Super Finals on Sunday. WTCR runs to a slightly more compact schedule, with Free Practice and Qualifying on Saturday ahead of a pair of races on Sunday. A total of 6400 fans will be allowed into the track, opening up both championships to spectators beyond Eurosport’s extensive global television coverage.

About Goodyear

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 74,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.