ROUND1 – DOHA, 21-23 Feb 2008 – RACE PREVIEW

Doha, Qatar - The 2008 World Superbike Championship finally takes to the stage for the new season this weekend, with the series once more commencing in the sun-drenched paddock of the Losail International Circuit, near the Qatari capital of Doha.

Tension is great on the eve of the most eagerly awaited championship year imaginable, and there has already been a huge amount of work carried out behind the scenes by Pirelli technicians, all with the common aim of providing a measurable jump in performance between the 2007 and 2008 seasons.

There are many new variables in the paddock this year; new riders, new machines, new staff for a championship which continues to raise the emotional enjoyment of those who watch the races and in its overall standing, year-on-year.

Even before the first practice session the riders were looking nervously at the ever-changing Losail track surface, seeking reassurance from the Pirelli staff that they will have products which can help them deal with the very high winds that whipped across the track, bringing in blankets of sand and grit. None of these things is ideal for ultimate adhesion and rider confidence, or tyre life in general.

There have been many new developments from Pirelli in recent times, and for this first race of the year riders in both Superbike and Supersport classes have the choice of not only different compounds, but also tyre construction and sizes.

The Supersport riders will have a choice of two fronts and three rear tyres (plus of course wet tyres and intermediates) and in Superbike the riders will have three fronts and four rears to pick from - plus a qualifying tyre for those who make it into Superpole.

The track at Qatar is very challenging for riders, with lots of fast corners, and because of the layout most of the tyre wear occurs on the right hand side. The dust on the track magnifies this, and all these factors combine to reduce overall adhesion. For this reason both Supersport and Superbike teams will have one tyre which is a reference tyre, one which has been used before and that the team already has data for. They can therefore test out the relative performance of the new tyres before facing the real race conditions - with raceday on a Saturday at this round, not Sunday.

Different engine configurations, different power curves, riders who are harder in their tyre or softer on their tyres, and electronic timing that is merciless in its judgement - these are the challenges that Pirelli takes on board once again, as the official tyre supplier to all classes in the World Superbike Championship. This philosophy of constant development, while creating tyres suitable for all types of machines carries on apace once more, like it has done for the past four years. This experience, gained in the heat of competition, is constantly translated into the excellence of Pirelli products on sale to the public.