Goodwood 2024, Pirelli unveils the car-connected tyre

Pirelli inaugurates the new era of tyres at the Goodwod Festival of Speed with another evolution of its Cyber Tyre technology, which connects the tyre directly with the car's electronics to configure it appropriately and enhance both safety and performance. The new step reached by Cyber Tyre moves the bar of connection and interaction even higher, having debuted with Connesso, which uses an app to signal the health of each individual tyre, recognising its characteristics through its identification code. The new technological page written by Pirelli is flanked by one concerning sustainability, as the brand announced at the Festival of Speed that from 2026 it will implement the use of Fsc-certified natural rubber in European production. That is, coming from an ecologically and ethically correct supply chain.   

The new step achieved by Cyber Tyre is the first ever to interact and actively influence the electronic dynamism management systems: ABS, ESP and traction control. The tyre-car dialogue is enabled by software developed and integrated by Pirelli into the cars' electronic control units. The first car in the world to adopt this new interpretation of Cyber Tyre will be the Pagani Utopia hypercar with P Zero Corsa, P Zero Trofeo Rs and P Zero Winter tyres.

Cyber Tyre series tyres dialogue with the car's electronics to the point of configuring them in the best way to optimise the car's behaviour, thanks to sensors located inside them. These connect via Bluetooth with the car's electronic control unit, which, on the basis of the input received, sets up the various electronic systems in an ideal way to make the most of the potential of the only point of contact between the car and the road: the tyre. For example, when the car is fitted with winter tyres, Abs will set itself to reduce stopping distance. Conversely, when the car is equipped with semi-slick tyres, the stability and traction controls will be configured to be less hasty in their interventions on traction, as that type of tyre offers higher grip parameters than conventional tyres. In the absence of this information, the handling systems work conservatively, i.e. based on the factory settings taking into account the characteristics and performance of the tyres fitted. Such technical 'awareness', therefore, not only allows the car's controls to work at their best, but also enhances both performance according to usage and safety.   

The new era of the tyre opened by Pirelli also rests on greater attention to the environment. In fact, the brand continues both to invest in R&D to introduce new materials to replace those of fossil origin and to provide third-party certification of the origin, traceability and use of these materials. The decision to use only Fsc certified natural rubber, i.e. by the Forest Stewardship Council, in all European factories by 2026, which will be conveyed by a new logo on tyre sidewalls, is part of this path. The assessment parameters used by Fsc require that forests are managed in a way that preserves biological diversity, benefiting workers and local communities in a way that is cost-effective for them. The world's first road tyre containing Fsc-certified natural rubber and rayon produced by Pirelli was unveiled in 2021. Other significant milestones in this journey are the introduction of tyres with Fsc rubber in the Formula 1 championship starting with the first Grand Prix in 2024 and the debut of the certification also in the cycling world a few weeks ago with the P Zero Race Rs.

The announcement of the further expansion of the use of sustainable materials made at Goodwood is accompanied by that of the supply of a wide selection of certified tyres to the Jaguar Land Rover group.