If you’re into motorsport, there’s nothing more appealing than the prospect of unleashing a supercar out on your very own race track. And the P Zero Experience – Pirelli’s exclusive track day concept – makes exactly all that possible. It’s the next best thing to actually becoming a real racing driver, with some of the most exciting cars in the world.
The P Zero Experience was first launched in France 11 years ago, and it's a dream come true for people who love cars and experiencing exactly what they can do. Since then, the concept of this exclusive track day organised by Pirelli has expanded to other territories, and this year it came to the Red Bull Ring in Austria: the home of the Austrian Grand Prix.
The tight and twisty circuit, which follows the contours of the green Styrian hills, is one that’s easy to fall in love with. This year, it hosted the P Zero Experience Central Europe event, which allowed drivers to experience the full power of some leading supercars: either cars that they owned themselves or cars especially supplied by a number of top manufacturers – including Bentley, Dallara, Lamborghini, McLaren, Pagani and Tushek.
One of the highlights was the display of the Pagani Roadster BC that set the lap record for road cars at the epic Spa-Francorchamps circuit on September 4, running on a set of Pirelli P Zero R tyres that had been developed especially for it.
The P Zero Experience, which redefines the track day, isn’t just about cars on track: there’s also a chance to admire cars that aren't going anywhere, in the Pirelli Lounge. This is an area where guests can relax while waiting for their turn to take to the track. There’s plenty to do there: guests can discover the world of Pirelli Design for example; a unique incubator for high-end projects with prestigious partners to offer stunning products that lead their class. Examples of some of these special creations include Montblanc suitcases designed for Pirelli, as well as P Zero Winter skis from Blossom Ski, developed in collaboration with Pirelli’s engineers.
Ducati was also present in the Pirelli Lounge with its new Panigale V4S and Streetfighter V4S, not to mention a well-known local hero from Formula 1, which is exclusively supplied by Pirelli: Team Aston Martin Red Bull Racing, showing off their F1 car. But it wasn’t just a Red Bull car on display, as there was also a Red Bull-liveried bike from MBC. Maybe not quite as fast, but just as stunning in its own way.
The people who drove the McLaren 600 LT were also able to try out Pirelli Track Adrenaline: a new system that’s made up of an app, control unit, and P Zero Trofeo R tyres equipped with sensors, which will be available in the first few months of 2021.
This system monitors every aspect of tyre performance and displays the resulting telemetry in real time, helping drivers to improve their on-track performances and manage their tyres in the most efficient way. But that’s not all. The app works offline too, by storing all the data gathered while the car was on track: including lap time, minimum and maximum speeds, as well as acceleration and braking. Drivers can additionally examine the lines they have been taking and compare individual lap times sector by sector. This is made possible thanks to the precision of the GPS integrated into the control unit, which faithfully records the car’s every move, acting as each driver’s individual training coach. The P Zero Experience drivers were also able to test the Track Adrenaline system’s adaptability, thanks to the plug and play capability of the control unit directly into their own cars, linked to a smartphone app. This provided useful telemetry without requiring sensors in the tyres. The result is improved performance, thanks to the astonishing detail that is conveyed. It’s a bit like having a virtual race engineer, right in your phone.
Those who missed out this time can still get the opportunity to sample the P Zero Experience for themselves soon: all the latest dates and venues can be found on the following link:
Shane Richmond is a technology writer and...
