-The End-

This one-week exchange program will provide doctors from 16 CSL clubs a good opportunity to have close contact with team doctors of F.C.Internazionale and training courses about the treatment and rehabilitation from sports injuries by Esaote and Technogym, global leading brands of equipments for sports, fitness and rehabilitation. Apart from the exchange program, team doctors will visit Pirelli’s global headquarter in Milan and personally experience Pirelli’s culture, which is the Passion, Control, Performance and Strength.

Mr. Liu Weidong, Deputy GM of China Super League, expressed his appreciation for Pirelli’s efforts to facilitate the exchange program, “The team doctor exchange program organized by Pirelli is an excellent learning opportunities for all CSL teams, which not only allow our team doctors to closely understand and learn from advanced medical concepts and experiences of Italian football sports, but also help us to have better integration of Chinese and western medical knowledge and the concepts.”

Mr. Michael Cati, Sales and Marketing Director of Greater China, said, “Pirelli has been always attaching great importance to football sports to continuously fulfill its brand spirit, “Full of Passion”. To provide Chinese football sports with more advanced concepts and good opportunities for its development is not only a plain reflect of its strategy to grow rapidly in Chinese market, but also an excellent opportunity to illustrate its industry leadership. To fulfill the commitment of continuously supporting to CSL, this team doctor exchange program is an integral part of building an exchange platform for Sino-Italian football sports, closely following the CSL Summit on June, 7. It will be long-term efforts. The spirit of continuous pursuit of excellence will drive Pirelli to do its best efforts and offer supports to the development of Chinese football sports. ”

Pirelli has a long history and extensive experiences in sports sponsorship, especially in football sports. Pirelli has been sponsoring Inter Milan Football Club for more than 10 years and been a partner to Basel in Switzerland. In addition, Pirelli also signed sponsorship agreement with Palmeiras in Brazil and Sarsfield in Argentina. In China, Pirelli signed a three-year sponsorship agreement to Chinese Super League, which is now Pirelli’s China Super League. As a high-performance tyre manufacturing expert, Pirelli has won favors from most global top automobile manufacturers, such as Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. It is the endless pursuit for perfect power that powers Pirelli with the same passion as sportsmanship.

Pirelli – which has supplied tyres exclusively for the GP3 championship this year – will also supply the GP2 championship from 2011, becoming the sole provider of tyres for the most prestigious single-seater championships in global motorsport.

The Milan-based firm is already present in the World Rally Championship, the World Superbike Championship, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America, the Motocross World Championship and several other national championships for both cars and bikes.

This new Formula One agreement crowns Pirelli’s historic involvement in world motorsport, which dates back to 1907 when the Italian fim won the epic Paris-Peking road race. Pirelli currently exclusively supplies some of the most important World Championships for both cars and bikes, such as the GP3 series, the World Rally Championship, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America, the World Superbike Championship, and the Motocross World Championship. On top of this, Pirelli also supplies more than 70 other national and international championships. The last Grand Prix victory claimed by Pirelli was the 1991 Canadian Grand Prix, with Nelson Piquet driving for Benetton.

The Chinese logo uses long brush strokes and elongated Chinese characters to echo the famous, extended “P” in the global logo, reflecting the incorporation of Chinese cultural elements with Pirelli’s classic logo. Not only does the design’s vitality and energy reflect Pirelli’s ultra-high quality performances, it also represents Pirelli’s respect and value of China’s dynamic, growing market.

Introducing the new logo, Mr. Giuseppe Cattaneo, Pirelli Tyre Asia-Pacific CEO, stated, “The Pirelli Group is renowned for employing passionate innovation. Through this Chinese logo, we hope to demonstrate our passionate pursuit of innovation and high-performance as well as the admiration we have for the Chinese culture. I am proud to present this logo as a bridge of cultural exchange between Italy and China and I am even prouder as I look forward to what the logo stands for: the great importance Pirelli places upon the China market and the continued efforts for our further expansion here.”

For over a century, the Pirelli brand has been built upon a history centered on high performance tyres. As the world’s fifth-largest tyre manufacturer in the world, Pirelli is a legend in the auto industry for its consistent deliverance of ultra-high performances. Its worldwide renown has made Pirelli the preferred choice for world-class, high-end auto brands, giving the best performance and control to its drivers. Pirelli’s passion for producing high quality tyres is matched by its determination for green performance and sustainability.

In China, Pirelli recently released the Energy Series, the latest line of green truck and bus tyres. The low noise levels and high mileage capabilities position Pirelli’s truck and bus tyres as the champion of all green tyres. Pirelli is also taking steps to implement more comprehensive and effective environmental protection technologies. On September 15, 2009, the Italian and Chinese governments signed an agreement with the Pirelli Group on the distribution of particulate filters to reduce diesel engine emissions. Pirelli’s latest R&D achievements will be applied in five China provinces as the pilot solution to high pollution vehicle control. Additionally, the Beijing municipal government has ordered a large number of exhaust particulate filters from Pirelli Eco Technology to be installed on public buses.

Pirelli remains strategically targeted towards the China market, investing in expansion of production capacity, product localization, network building, and the fostering of local talents. Other high-performance tyre products introduced in China include the P6, P7, P Zero, SUV-4×4, and winter tyre. Pirelli’s remarkable products and constant endeavors for superiority have garnered numerous awards including the “Recommended Tyre Brand” in the 2010 China Automotive Aftermarket Summit Forum as well as double awards at the China Tyre Enterprise Summit 2009, naming the Pirelli’s first high-performance ecological tyre, the Cinturato P7, as the “Best New Tyre of the Year” and the P-Zero tyre as the “Best Ultra-High Performance Tyre”.

Pirelli’s product superiority mirrors its emphasis upon building up its corporate culture. Pirelli’s corporate culture is focused upon “Passion, Control, Performance, Power” These ideals are applied to Pirelli’s long tradition of sponsorship in the world of sports. Pirelli is a strong supporter of International and Chinese football. With the signing of a 3-year agreement in March 2009, Pirelli became an official institutional sponsor of the Chinese Super League (CSL), the top professional football championship league in China. In another step to further its’ support of the CSL, Pirelli will be organizing a “Football Team Management Forum” on June 7^th in Beijing. The forum will be attended by representatives from Pirelli, the CSL, and the Inter-Milan to discuss Inter-Milan’s previous experiences in team management and the trends Pirelli and Inter-Milan have seen in their past collaborations and partnerships. The forum will also aim to take these experiences as in the planning for the future development of Chinese Football, further integrating the relationship and sponsorship of Pirelli for the Chinese Super League.

Pirelli’s green concept matches the theme of the up-coming 2010 Beijing International Auto Show, “A Greener Tomorrow”. As early as 2005, Pirelli had completed the construction of its first truck tyre production line in China and gradually introduced more and more truck and bus tyres into the Chinese market. As a low-carbon economy becomes the focus of China’s economic development, Pirelli will lead the way in creating a bright future for the Chinese auto industry.

Pirelli’s Energy Series: FH65 Energy, FR28 Energy / TR28 Energy, FR36 Energy / TR36 Energy

The Energy series that Pirelli released in the Chinese market this year offer high-end and energy-saving options for the truck and bus market, and are very competitive due to its low fuel consumption, high mileage, low noise levels and retreadability.

Updated with a new formula, Pirelli’s Energy series are: designed with modern tyre beads, greatly reducing rolling resistance and fuel consumption and allowed to reach a higher mileage. Also, Pirelli’s unique bead structure technology and excellent retreadability help to extend tyre life as well as reduce transportation costs. Another key technical characteristic of the Energy series is its superior grip even on wet road surfaces due to the unique tread and drainage groove design, which can achieve superior handling performance, reduce noise levels, deliver comfortable and safe driving experiences, and be a good partner to long-distance driving drivers. The Energy series that Pirelli released in 2010 include FH65 Energy, FR28 Energy /TR28 Energy and FR36 Energy /TR36 Energy, all of which are high energy-efficient tyres for truck and bus applications.

The FH65 Energy tyre is a truck and bus tyre designed for long-distance transportation on highways, which can be applied to steering or driving shafts. Specially-formulated tread and new bead structure are better adapted to highway conditions and make it more durable; the unique tread design, especially four wide drainage grooves, provides superior grip even on wet road surfaces and handling performance; and optimized shoulder design ensures turning accuracy. In short, FH65 Energy is a safe, comfortable and cost-effective product.

FR28 Energy /TR28 Energy models are mainly used on regional roads. FR28 Energy, which is assembled on the steering shaft, reduces energy loss due to its unique formula. Also thanks to Pirelli’s latest patented technology of tubeless honeycomb , the bead toe strength and anti-fatigue capacity is enhanced, leading to improved driving safety. TR28 Energy, which is assembled on the driving shaft, features a specially-treated tread rubber that makes it excellent in withstanding impulsive, while the block tread is designed to enhance the traction of driving wheels.

FR36 Energy /TR36 Energy models are inner tyres specially made for road transportation. FR36 Energy is used on steering shafts and TR36 Energy on driving shafts respectively. In order to adapt to the different road conditions in China, Pirelli made special optimizations to ensure enhanced tread wear resistance and less irregular wearability. In addition, groove geometry was developed to ensure driving safety.

Besides the Energy series, Pirelli also released two best-selling tyres in 2010. MC85 is an excellent choice for urban bus or transportation purposes, and AP36+ is applicable to mid-distance transportation – both can be used on either steering or driving shafts. MC85 was developed for city traffic with thick side wall in response to frequent side impact and wear so as to achieve higher mileage; and the hexagonal bead wire, closely clinging to the rim, will result in better retreadability as well as effective cost-saving. AP36+ tubeless tyre was based on new bead wire structure. Its continuous central ribbing design ensures directional stability even on wet or asphalt roads, and lateral grooves were developed for better handling on various surfaces.

The energy-saving Energy series and other family of products introduced by Pirelli into the Chinese truck and bus market all feature high mileage, low noise levels and reduced usage costs, fully demonstrating Pirelli’s contribution to China’s low-carbon economy development. “Since Pirelli’s entry into the local market, we have been committed to bringing China the most advanced tyre technologies. The latest energy-saving Energy series is another solid evidence of Pirelli’s regard of China as a very important strategic market. With Pirelli’s continuous development in China, we are looking forward to seeing Pirelli brand become more deeply rooted to the Chinese community and the people’s hearts”, said Mr. Giuseppe Cattaneo, CEO of Pirelli Asia Pacific.

It is worth mentioning that Pirelli is also taking steps to adopt broader environment protection technologies. On September 15, 2009, the Italian and Chinese governments both signed an agreement with Pirelli Group on the distribution of particulate filters to reduce diesel engine emissions. Pirelli’s latest R&D achievements will be applied in five China provinces as the pilot solution to high pollution vehicle control. The Beijing municipal government has ordered a large number of exhaust particulate filters from Pirelli Eco Technology and had them installed on public buses. Lately, Pirelli is focusing more on its R&D on balanced ecology and road safety. Located in Italy, Germany, Brazil, USA and UK, nearly a thousand experts from our five R&D centers are making constant effort to offer green and high-performance tyres, as well as develop global low-carbon technologies.

Pirelli will begin its association with the all-new GP3 Series when it gets underway in Barcelona this weekend (7-9 May).

The Italian company has been appointed as the official tyre supplier to the one-make single-seater series, which has been pitched as a stepping-stone to GP2, a direct feeder category to Formula One.

Designed as a training formula for young and aspiring drivers, the series is made up of nine race weekends, each consisting of a practice and a qualifying session and two races in an effort to maximise track time for the drivers and accelerate their learning.

Pirelli was chosen by the FIA to supply the control tyre for this crucial new series because of the company’s proven ability to contain costs while maintaining a high level of technology to further the best interests of competition.

Eight of the nine rounds support Formula One Grands Prix, starting with the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya this weekend and ending with the Italian Grand Prix at the legendary Monza circuit near Milan, where Pirelli houses its global headquarters. The calendar will give the drivers a chance to compete in a high-profile environment and demonstrate their skills to watching team managers from GP2 and Formula One.

Pirelli has designed and developed a racing tyre specifically for the Dallara-built GP3 Series car. With a two-litre, turbocharged engine developed by Renault’s F1 arm putting out 280bhp, the tyre will be subjected to extreme stresses and strains throughout a race weekend. Pirelli has an established tradition of breaking new technological ground in the development and design of its Ultra High Performance road car products, so the lessons learned from this have been incorporated into the new GP3 series tyre.

Drivers are allocated three sets of dry weather tyres and two sets of wet weather tyres per event. Championship regulations prevent any modifications from being made to the tyres and their use is strictly policed by series officials to ensure a level playing field.

Although Pirelli prides itself in designing and manufacturing durable tyres, the brief from GP3 Series bosses specified that each tyre should experience a degree of degradation to help the drivers’ education process but also to spice up the on-track action.

A full grid of 30 drivers is set to contest the inaugural GP3 Series season-opener in Spain, while the teams that have registered for the championship include the MW Arden outfit, which is partly owned by Red Bull F1 driver Mark Webber.

“We are delighted to be the official tyre supplier to the inaugural GP3 Series,” said Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Paul Hembery. “Pirelli has a long and proud association with single-seater racing at a variety of levels all the way up to Formula One and we very excited to be helping young drivers develop their skills at a crucial stage in their careers.”

Hembery added: “As the official tyre supplier to the World Rally Championship, Pirelli is well versed in meeting the demands required by high-profile motorsport disciplines and providing an exceptional product and level of service. Our approach to the GP3 Series will be no different and this forms vital experience for us as we submit our tender for tyre supply to Formula One from next season onwards. Competition is in our company DNA, so we believe that a control tyre supply is by no means incompatible with an exciting sporting spectacle. But it’s also worth pointing out that our first sporting engagement this year with open tyre competition, the Monte Carlo Rally in January, resulted in a great victory for us. Pirelli is capable of rising to every challenge.”

Pirelli recently announced its intention to tender for the Formula One tyre supply contract from 2011 onwards. The Italian firm’s last involvement in Formula One ended at the end of the 1991 season, following a victory for Nelson Piquet’s Benetton-Ford at the Canadian Grand Prix.

the Scorpion Verde, the world’s first environmentally friendly tyre for SUVs, and the new PZero Corsa, the Ultra High Performance green tyre for supercars

The P7 and P6 Cinturato, which excelled in tough 2010 tests run by the international trade press, will also be in the spotlight

Cyber Tyre, the smart tyre that reads the road, in final phase of development

 

 

 

Geneva, 2 March 2010.  Pirelli unveiled the first environmentally friendly tyre developed for SUVs, its Scorpion Verde, as well as a new tyre designed for use by supercars, the new PZero Corsa. With these two world premiers, Pirelli again makes its mark at the Geneva Motor Show, where the Italian group continues to establish itself as a point of reference not just for high-performance vehicles, through its PZero line, but also for those focused on ecology, with its Cinturato family, which began 2010 by performing brilliantly in the summer tests of the international press with its P6 and P7 models.

In fact, at the eightieth edition of the Geneva show, the Italian group’s tyres fit the lion’s share of the most eagerly awaited models, from the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, one of the stars of the show, to the Tesla, the first electric supercar. The Cyber Tyre, the “intelligent” tyre able to “read” the road, is also a highlight of Pirelli’s presence in Geneva. After having passed the most rigorous tests, the Cyber Tyre is ready to enter the market in its TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) version. 

Green Performance – safety and ecology. Scorpion Verde and the Cinturato family. One of the new products that Pirelli will unveil at the Geneva motor show is the Scorpion Verde, the first eco-friendly tyre for SUVs, which combines safety with fuel savings, while limiting vehicle emissions. The new tyre in the Scorpion line will be presented on the Idiada course in Catalonia in mid-March, 2010.  Scorpion Verde, also on display in Geneva on the Volkswagen Touareg, enlarges Pirelli’s green family.

The family was inaugurated in 2008 with the return of the Cinturato line in the P4 and P6 versions, aimed at mid- to small-sized vehicles, and enriched by the P7 in 2009, the first ecological tyre developed for large-sized engines. In particular, the Cinturato P7, which combines reduced consumption with increased braking performance and road grip, looks to be a green phenomenon at the Swiss convention. And not just at the Pirelli stand, where it is exhibited with the Tesla; the Cinturato P7 has also been selected for various models by other prestigious manufacturers and is displayed on the BMW 5 Series and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, among others. Cinturato P7 will also be found on the Rinspeed UC-Urban Commuter concept car.

Performance and the joy of driving: the new PZero Corsa and the PZero line.  The other new Pirelli product at the Geneva Motor Show is the new PZero Corsa System, the next step for the PZero Corsa, developed to emphasize performance and safety characteristics, while still managing to simultaneously reduce rolling resistance. The new tyre in the PZero line can be viewed on the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. The entire PZero line, Pirelli’s high performance sports product range, is on display on some of the most beautiful cars at the show. These include the new Maserati Grancabrio, the Audi 8 and Porsche Cayenne, as well as models from Ferrari, Aston Martin, Lotus, Bentley, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes, McLaren and BMW.

Pirelli confirms its technology partnership with Lamborghini and presents the world premiere of the new PZero Corsa System at the International Motor Show in Geneva, designed for the new supercar from Sant’Agata Bolognese, the Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera, designed for use on the highest-performing next generation of vehicles. Pirelli’s research department, working to reinforce the characteristics of the newest member of the Lamborghini family, developed tyres that contribute to the reduction of environmental impact, with compounds and solutions that decrease rolling resistance, while at the same time taking performance characteristics to the maximum in terms of both safety and handling. The Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera will use the new PZero Corsa System in the 235/35ZR19 and 295/30ZR19 sizes.

The Cyber Tyre and innovative materials. Pirelli’s research looks to the future, developing innovative solutions for the automobile industry and developing materials with ever more ecological characteristics, both in terms of use of the final product, and during production.  The Cyber Tyre belongs to the first category. The smart tyre that Pirelli’s research centres are developing is able to “read” the conditions of the road surface. The Cyber Tyre has recently passed severe dynamic tests conducted on the test track in Nardò and is ready for the definitive development stage for its first application:  TPMS, (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) which makes it possible to have real time information about tyre pressure, vertical load, and internal temperature. The Cyber Tyre is the starting point of a revolution not only regarding tyres as they have always been understood until today, but as a real turning point for the automobile industry as a whole. The system created by Pirelli is the launch pad for a series of future developments, for which the Italian Group has collaborated technologically with other important leaders in the auto sector.

Mr. Giuseppe Cattaneo, CEO of Pirelli Asia, said, “we are very pleased to see the first-year PSL had achieved excellent results, which is embodied in increased audience involvement (190 million TV broadcasting audience and 3.91 million stadium attendance) and more fierce competitions. The entire season was full of suspense until the final round. In addition to congratulating the Beijing Team, we also want to express our thanks to all other PSL teams who have provided us all with so many wonderful games. At the same time we are also optimistic towards current situation of Chinese football sports. We have full confience in the anti-gambling crackdown actions by Chinese police, so we believe PSL in 2010 will be even more exciting. ”

Mr. Cattaneo reconfirmed Pirelli’s commitment to offering support to the development of Chinese football sports, “The good start has laid a solid foundation of our future cooperation with Chinese Super League. Pirelli will continue to make unremitting efforts to promote the exchange of Sino-Italian football sports and actively play its role as title sponsor.”

Ever since being the title sponsor to Chinese Super League, Pirelli has been committed to fulfilling its promise of being active sponsor. Pirelli bridged the exchange between FC Internazionale Milano, the giant of Italian Super League and PSL. In addtion, Pirelli offered great support to the CSL roadshow which covered the whole 2009 season and across 16 cities where PSL team was based. A lot of spectacular interactive activities have been organized to narrow the distance between fans and the League. Also, Pirelli presented coach tyres for PSL teams and fans can enjoy free tyre tests at Pirelli store with ticket stub of PSL games. Besides the “Passion” penetrated in all PSL shows, Pirelli also actively advocates for the importance of “Control”.

According to the statistics, 2009 PSL achieved multiple new records in stadium attendence (3.912 million in total and 16.3 thousand per game), cumulative TV broadcasting audience (190 million), clicks of PSL official website (3 million per month) and game VOD services on Sina Sports and PSL official website (150 million VODs for 2009 season). In the meantime, as the title sponsor, Pirelli’s brand awareness and sales in Chinese market have increased dramatically.

Looking into the coming year, Pirelli has already began to establish cooperation plan with PSL and other partners (such as Inter Milan club), including team doctor and club manager training projects aimed to improve the level of professional league and interactive activities for football fans.

Pirelli, which has had an industrial presence in China since 2005, when the first part of its factory was inaugurated in the Shandong Province, today counts two manufacturing lines in China which produce tyres for cars and trucks in the city of Yanzhou. Pirelli is present in China with a series of initiatives that contribute to its brand awareness, such as the presentation of the 2008 Pirelli Calendar in Shanghai, and other cultural initiatives.

Pirelli specializes in high performance tyres and is the brand of choice for car manufacturers such as Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. The link between powerful performance and football makes Chinese Super League a natural partner for Pirelli. Pirelli intends to support Chinese football through this sponsorship, accompanying its evolution and offering international know-how in an active partnership. The company thus confirms its strategy of greater integration in the Chinese community and social fabric.

Following China, immortalized by Patrick Demarchelier in the 2008 edition, and Botswana shot by Peter Beard a year later,  2010 is the year of Brazil and of American photographer Terry Richardson, the celebrated “enfant terrible” known for his provocative and outrageous approach.

In the 30 images that scan the months of 2010, Terry Richardson depicts a return to a playful, pure Eros. Through his lens he runs after fantasies and provokes, but with a simplicity that sculpts and captures the sunniest side of femininity. He portrays a woman who is captivating because she is natural, who plays with stereotypes in order to undo them, who makes irony the only veil she covers herself with. This is a return to the natural, authentic atmospheres and images of the ‘60s and ‘70s. It is a clear homage to the Calendar’s origins, a throwback to the first editions by  Robert Freeman (1964),  Brian Duffy (1965) and Harry Peccinotti (1968 and 1969). Terry Richardson, like his illustrious predecessors, has chosen a simple kind of photography, without retouching, where naturalness prevails over technique and becomes the key to removing artificial excesses in vogue today to reveal the true woman underneath.

The rooster, the sabre, the jets of water and the old tyres become the punctuation marks giving rhythm and harmony to the tale told by Richardson, where suggestions of the Pop Art that inspired some early editions of the Calendar merge with an Eros typical of this American photographer, that Eros which in the 2010 Cal is evoked only slightly, through allusions which Richardson uses to mock convention, giving form and carnality to things taboo.

This is a Calendar which Francesco Negri Arnoldi, former Art History Professor at the University of Salento in Lecce and University Tor Vergata in Rome, considers Pop. He defines it as “totally new, in its return to the past; absolutely original, in its consolidated tradition, and capable of rediscovering the charm of all-natural femininity”. With the return to Pop Art, the language adopted is an essential and immediate iconographic language, understandable by all and contaminated only by daily life.

The 2010 edition is a clear expression and Terry Richardson is its interpreter: he portrays  figures without frills, removed from complicated and artificial contexts set by fashion trends. The setting has no showy backgrounds or schemes, in line with the photographer’s simplicity and focus on the essential. “A great photographer,” says Richardson, “captures the moment – that’s why I shoot without extra equipment and without assistants.

“My technique is the absence of technique: the lens is my eye, my charisma, my ability to capture moments of truth, whatever they may be, picture angles, use of color, light, scenery – these have always been the essential aspects of my photographic art.”

Eleven models appear in the Calendar:  Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Miranda Kerr of Australia, Eniko Mihalik from Hungary, Marloes Horst of the Netherlands, Lily Cole, Daisy Lowe, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley from the UK, Georgina Stojilijkovic of Serbia and two Brazilian natives, Gracie Carvalho and Ana Beatriz Barros.