With the 8 Hours of Portimao this weekend, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) returns to action. Goodyear is preparing for Round 2 on the Portuguese Algarve coast as the only tyre provider to the LMP2 category.
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao is a new circuit on the WEC calendar this year, although it is one that many teams are familiar with from the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). It offers a fascinating challenge with its quick, flowing turns and high rises and descents throughout the lap. Goodyear brings a plethora of expertise to this weekend's race at Portimao, having supplied LMP2 and LMGTE cars in the ELMS race there, as well as significant testing with WEC teams.
“Portimao is one of the tracks where we tested the new tyre specification, so it offers us useful information leading into the race in terms of how the tyre will perform and what configurations we can recommend to teams,” says Mike McGregor, Goodyear Endurance Racing Program Manager. We're familiar with the track as well, having raced there last year. There is always an element of the unknown when a championship lands at a new circuit, but we are confident in our expertise and expertise of this track.”
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All 11 LMP2 teams competing this weekend will employ the Goodyear C-spec tyre compound, which was utilised at the 6 Hours of Spa and in the previous two ELMS races. This standard has already demonstrated its ability to operate in a variety of circumstances, which is vital as teams prepare for the 24 Hours of Le Mans' unpredictable and shifting conditions.
"As witnessed in the last few WEC and ELMS races, we have worked hard to provide teams with a tyre specification that works in a broad operating window," McGregor says. The Red Bull Ring ELMS race was extremely chilly, and it is a low-energy track, which means it puts less pressure on tyres, but the temperatures at the high-energy track in Spa were far more variable. We enter a medium-energy circuit in Portimao, where the temperatures will be significantly higher."
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Goodyear will continue to engage with teams this weekend to collect data in preparation for Le Mans. The increased number of Goodyear teams in the WEC this year compared to last year helps speed up that learning process, as McGregor explains: "The key difference with having this many cars on the grid now is that we can learn so much faster how the tyres are operating with different driving styles."
"LMP2 is a Pro-Am class with a wide range of driving styles and setup philosophies. Teams must customise the car to fit the needs of many drivers with varied driving styles. Our track support engineers are working with the teams to help them discover a custom setup that works with the tyre package."
The Goodyear- 8 Hours of Portimao gets underway on Friday afternoon, with the race starting at 11:00 a.m. local time on Sunday, June 13th.
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