PIRELLI
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WE SELL WHAT WE RACE , WE RACE WHAT WE SELL
The 2021 season will be the 18th straight year that Pirelli has been the Official Single Tyre Supplier to the biggest and fastest production-derived motorcycle race series on the planet - the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship .
The Pirelli / WorldSBK partnership is the longest such deal in motorsport history and was the first to appear in a full world Championship . It has proved to be mutually beneficial to both parties ever since . More than that , the way in which Pirelli maximises this opportunity on a world stage provides real-world advances in technology for road riders , track day enthusiasts and real racers of all levels . It all started out , in some ways , by necessity . The previous
Championship organisers decided to change to a single make supplier in 2004 . Until then some other tyre companies had chosen to give their best support and specialised material to only a few factory riders , skewing the final race results despite the best efforts of other riders and teams . Giorgio Barbier , Pirelli Moto Racing Director , remembers it all very well . “ The WorldSBK promoters said ‘ enough , we need someone to treat the teams at the same level , to give the same level of support , service and the same tyres to everyone .’ This was the clear statement .”
Pirelli eventually proved to be the chosen supplier and from the very start of its single make tyre philosophy - even after some early internal reservations about the wisdom of not racing
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