World Superbike is sticking with Pirelli through the end of 2018.
At the end of July, WSB had announced they were asking suppliers to send in tenders if they were interested in the control tire contract after the end of the 2015 season. Earlier in the year, MotoGP announced they were changing tire suppliers (heading to Michelin), and some folks thought Dorna would guide WSB in the same direction.
That isn’t the case, though. Pirelli and WSB are keeping their ties for now
“We are glad to continue with Pirelli for the next three seasons,” said Javier Alonso, WSB Executive Director.
Pirelli bigwig Uberto Thun-Hohenstein said his company was “proud of this confirmation as official tire supplier … It is a partnership that has lasted successfully for over a decade thanks to the constant commitment and well-finished service of our racing team that goes to the track every weekend to support the teams and the riders.
“The quality of our tires is appreciated not only by the riders but by many motorcyclists all over the world who, thanks to the participation of Pirelli in this championship, have been able to rely on everyday more high performing products.”
Giorgio Barbier, another Pirelli official, echoed his statement that this deal would result in improvements trickling down to riders.
“When we first believed in the single tire supplier solution to reduce the cost of motorcycle racing, the idea was not accepted by everyone in a positive way. They were reluctant and some feared that the quality of the races as well as that of the tires would have been affected. This has not been the case.
“In more than a decade Pirelli has been able to show that, if well managed, the single tire supply not only allows the tire manufacturer to make developments and make available to all motorcyclists unrivalled products, but also permits us to contribute in an important way to the show offered by the Championship.”
