The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship begins in Europe for the first time since 2004, with the Pirelli Aragón Round as the first round of the season.
The first round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will be held on the Spanish circuit of MotorLand Aragón from May 21st to 23rd on Pirelli Tyres. Pirelli is the eighteenth Official Sole Tyre Supplier for all classes in the series, which is now in its 34th season. A lengthy winter break has come to an end, marked by numerous tests that helped the riders to better prepare for the upcoming season.
The renamed Pirelli Aragon Round would see the Italian tyre brand taking on the position of Event Major Sponsor, reiterating its commitment to investing in the Championship of the quickest production-derived machines as a forum for improving the tyres while also increasing the brand's global exposure.
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Pirelli has chosen the WorldSBK class for this first round because it offers a wide range of development options. Only standard options, such as tyres currently on the market, will be available in the WorldSSP class.
The asphalt on the Spanish MotorLand Aragón circuit is particularly rough on the rear tyres. In reality, the track's surface has a noticeable roughness, and sand, which can be accumulated on the track on windy days, can cause a lack of traction and drift towards the centre of the corners. Pirelli has chosen soft and medium rear tyres, with the latter being more helpful in cold morning test sessions. Temperatures are forecast to be significantly lower than the 30 degrees seen in August 2020.
Aside from the wear caused by the aggressiveness of the asphalt, the front tyres must also tolerate violent braking at the end of the straight opposite the pits, as well as steep slopes that place a heavy load on the front end. Quick corners and frequent changes of direction are also notable, requiring a high degree of precision and grip.
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The solutions for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes:
Pirelli offers the standard SC1 soft rubber, the standard SC2 medium compound, and two construction options for the front tyre. Both are the Y1231 soft compound development solution, which has already been used in many races in 2020, and the latest Z0628 soft compound development solution, which is an improvement of the existing SC1. This has a new structure that increases support in the mid and corner entry to enhance the front end feel.
The ultra soft standard SCX compound, which has been effectively used during the 2020 season in preparation for the qualifying lap and in complete races, the soft standard SC0 compound, and the medium standard SC1 compound, which may be the perfect solution during morning test sessions in case of particularly low temperatures, are among the four rear tyre choices.
The final rear alternative is the Superpole Y0449 tyre, which was introduced in Laguna Seca in 2019 and will allow riders to make a fast lap during the Superpole session in order to find the very best starting grid spot.
Riders in the WorldSSP division will have access to four dry solutions, two for the front and as well for the back, both of which are purely regular solutions. Pirelli will provide a basic SC1 soft compound and a standard SC2 medium compound for the front. Riders would be able to choose between a standard SC0 soft compound and a standard medium SC1 compound for the back.
Riders in both classes will have rain and intermediate tyres required in the event of poor weather.
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