Photo: WTCC Media

Yokohama tyres confirmed until 2009

By

Last week, following an invitation to tender, the FIA World Motor Sport Council appointed the Yokohama Rubber Company to supply the control tyre for the 2008 and 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championships. “Working with the WTCC teams and organisers has been a very positive and stable working relationship for us,” said Yokohama Europe Motorsport Manager Matthijs Mathlener.

“Everybody at Yokohama is very excited and proud about this contract continuation. Winning the tender gives us the last part of this season to come up with new strategies for the next two years.”

Yokohama say working at such a high level of international motorsport has benefitted the company two-fold.

“The first is marketing and communications aspect,” added Mathlener. “We wish to continue growing our brand in Europe and supporting WTCC is a perfect platform for that.

“It is also about tyre development. We have our Japanese engineers at all the races, they work closely with the teams, gathering various technical data, which go back to Japan where are used for road tyre development.”

This is the third consecutive year Yokohama have won the WTCC tender.