Thumbs up for Pirelli.
Pirelli's return to the WRC on the Rallye Monte Carlo last weekend was success, that's the verdict of the companies' motorsport director, Paul Hembery.
Pirelli won the rights to become the official tyre supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship back in February last year and the event at the Principality was the first one in which all four-wheel drive competitors had to use control tyres supplied by the Italian manufacturer.
While it took some of the drivers' longer than others to get use to the new rubber - and the fact that under the new regulations there is no run-flat mousse and a lot less compounds to choose from - few had any real issues with punctures.
Speaking at the finish, Hembery was delighted with the way the four-day event had gone: "Pirelli's debut as exclusive tyre supplier to the FIA WRC went even better than we expected," he stated. "We didn't have any of the punctures that some people expected following the abolition of tyre mousse and the drivers were pleased with our tyres.
"It did not take long for them to get used to our products, as Sebastien Loeb - who had never driven on Pirelli rubber before - amply demonstrated.
"This weekend's success is not only down to some excellent work from the Pirelli technician's on-event in Monte Carlo though, but also thanks to the solid preparation work at the Izmit factory in Turkey and Turin factory in Italy."
Loeb meanwhile was quick to congratulate Pirelli on a job well done and he had no complaints about the PZero tyres, which helped him claim a record breaking fifth win on the Monte.
"The speed and consistency of the PZero tyres was good. There was not a lot of punctures - and that's an important point. The grip was good too," said the Citroen man.
"They did their job perfectly on both the snowy asphalt of the Col du Turini and the smooth roads of the superspecial in the centre of Monaco - although with the advantage we had at that point, we were obviously not pushing too hard there. As far as I'm concerned, Pirelli has had a very positive debut."
Subaru team boss, David Richards was also impressed: "Pirelli has been a long-standing partner of the Subaru World Rally Team and therefore it is no surprise for me to see the level of professionalism and innovation they have brought to the introduction of a control tyre in the WRC," he added. "The challenge of supplying the entire field should not be underestimated."
Pirelli also got an additional boost at the finish, when they picked up the 'Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally' award.
"Pirelli was chosen as the recipient for the first Abu Dhabi Spirit of the Rally award in Monte Carlo because of the outstanding job it has done in developing and supporting what is effectively a single tyre for the WRC," explained Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General of the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority. "They have worked very closely with all the parties involved in the sport; organisers, teams and drivers to ensure that their tyres satisfy all the complex criteria required of them. They have also supported the WRC and motorsport in general for an incredibly long time, consistently demonstrating the values which Abu Dhabi stands for."
