Racing in the New Millennium
The new millennium began with yet another triumph for Pirelli. The P Zero claimed victory at the 2000 Safari Rally by equipping all three podium finishers: two Subarus in first and second place, driven by Richard Burns and Juha Kankkunen respectively, and a Seat in third with Didier Auriol at the wheel. Yet it was perhaps the following year, 2001, that truly showcased the high levels of performance of the Long P. Racing records point to Pirelli’s 18th World Rally Championship title, when “Richard Burns won the final round of the 2001 Rally in Great Britain in his Subaru fitted P Zero tyres, earning himself the Drivers’ World Title.”
Pirelli’s winning streak in rally racing continued through the early 2000s, with repeat triumphs in 2002 and 2003, securing yet another world title conquered by the P Zero. The 2000s also saw the introduction of another tyre, when the Pirelli KP joined the line-up, completing the P Zero range for gravel and providing an instant competitive edge. Once again, it was an article in Fatti e Notizie that reported that it was this new tyre that had taken a Subaru Impreza to victory in the 2004 Rally of New Zealand, with Peter Solberg at the wheel.
Throughout the first decades of the twenty-first century, Pirelli’s advances in technology and research led to victories across the world. In 2015, the Polish driver Kajetan Kajetanowicz claimed the European Rally Championship title in a Ford Fiesta, relying on the full range of Pirelli tyres, from the Pirelli Scorpion K to the P Zero RK, through to the Pirelli Sottozero Ice. That same year, the Italian driver Paolo Andreucci, driving a Peugeot 208 T16 fitted with Pirelli tyres, took the Italian rally title.
In 2019, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) chose Pirelli as the exclusive tyre supplier for the 2021 to 2024 seasons of the World Rally Championship. This partnership means that all the 4×4 vehicles competing for the WRC title, the R5 cars in WRC2, and those taking part in the various regional and national championships around the globe are equipped with Pirelli tyres.
On 30 December 2020, a company press release pointed out that, in that year alone, there had been 85 victories, with Pirelli participating in rally events across 40 countries and securing 275 special stage wins. In just the previous five years, over 509,000 tyres had been supplied to the champions tackling the world’s toughest races. And, by the end of 2020, Pirelli had competed in over 580 rally events, claiming 181 victories and 25 titles.
Today, with its goals as the sole supplier for the 2021–2024 WRC season accomplished, Pirelli continues its support for all the rally competitions it is involved in worldwide. In addition, it has partnered with the FIA on the newly launched Rally Star programme, reinforcing the Italian company’s long-term commitment to nurturing talented young drivers across all levels of rallying.
The new millennium began with yet another triumph for Pirelli. The P Zero claimed victory at the 2000 Safari Rally by equipping all three podium finishers: two Subarus in first and second place, driven by Richard Burns and Juha Kankkunen respectively, and a Seat in third with Didier Auriol at the wheel. Yet it was perhaps the following year, 2001, that truly showcased the high levels of performance of the Long P. Racing records point to Pirelli’s 18th World Rally Championship title, when “Richard Burns won the final round of the 2001 Rally in Great Britain in his Subaru fitted P Zero tyres, earning himself the Drivers’ World Title.”
Pirelli’s winning streak in rally racing continued through the early 2000s, with repeat triumphs in 2002 and 2003, securing yet another world title conquered by the P Zero. The 2000s also saw the introduction of another tyre, when the Pirelli KP joined the line-up, completing the P Zero range for gravel and providing an instant competitive edge. Once again, it was an article in Fatti e Notizie that reported that it was this new tyre that had taken a Subaru Impreza to victory in the 2004 Rally of New Zealand, with Peter Solberg at the wheel.
Throughout the first decades of the twenty-first century, Pirelli’s advances in technology and research led to victories across the world. In 2015, the Polish driver Kajetan Kajetanowicz claimed the European Rally Championship title in a Ford Fiesta, relying on the full range of Pirelli tyres, from the Pirelli Scorpion K to the P Zero RK, through to the Pirelli Sottozero Ice. That same year, the Italian driver Paolo Andreucci, driving a Peugeot 208 T16 fitted with Pirelli tyres, took the Italian rally title.
In 2019, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) chose Pirelli as the exclusive tyre supplier for the 2021 to 2024 seasons of the World Rally Championship. This partnership means that all the 4×4 vehicles competing for the WRC title, the R5 cars in WRC2, and those taking part in the various regional and national championships around the globe are equipped with Pirelli tyres.
On 30 December 2020, a company press release pointed out that, in that year alone, there had been 85 victories, with Pirelli participating in rally events across 40 countries and securing 275 special stage wins. In just the previous five years, over 509,000 tyres had been supplied to the champions tackling the world’s toughest races. And, by the end of 2020, Pirelli had competed in over 580 rally events, claiming 181 victories and 25 titles.
Today, with its goals as the sole supplier for the 2021–2024 WRC season accomplished, Pirelli continues its support for all the rally competitions it is involved in worldwide. In addition, it has partnered with the FIA on the newly launched Rally Star programme, reinforcing the Italian company’s long-term commitment to nurturing talented young drivers across all levels of rallying.
