After spending 2007 away from the World Rally Championship, Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli will be making its return to the series this year. The firm's engineers wasted no time in preparing Pirelli's role as sole tyre supplier to the WRC, as several compounds and designs were tested during the last several months.

Three different types have been developed, each specifically designed for performance on tarmac, gravel, or snow and ice, with an amended set of rules which ban the insertion of puncture-resisting mousse.

The outlook regarding these new challenges is one of assurance and determination, related Motorsport Director Paul Hembery.

"I'm really excited about the new season. Pirelli's involvement in the sport has obviously taken on a different role, and that's something people are going to have to get used to," he declared, referring to the changes that have been brought to tyre regulations within the WRC.

"The days of competition among tyre manufacturers are over, we're now focused on investing in the sport's future," Hembery added.

Development work and testing on the Pirelli tyres has gone well despite the occasional surprise event...

"The tyres themselves have performed really well in testing," Hembery reported. "Until the other day, we hadn't had a single deflation. We had a call to say there had been a deflation, so we went to look at the tyre and found that half of the wheel had been lost as well!"

"The tyres are heavily reinforced and on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being puncture-proof, I'd say we were up there with a 10 for the tyres," the Pirelli Motorsport Director explained.

"We have made very substantial improvements, but when you take chunk out of the rim it's impossible to stop a deflation now," Hembery reminded.