The new Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyre, which has been developed for the LMGTE and GTC classes, has already proven to be a major step forward in testing ahead of the 2015 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season.
Dunlop has benchmarked the tyre against its previous ‘one brand’ tyre (as proven in the MSA British Endurance Championship and Barcelona 24h) and has already seen at least a one-second a lap improvement at every circuit it has been tested at.
Dunlop claim that this progress is due to the learnings gained in open tyre competition. Dunlop equipped cars won the GT classes in the 2010 and 2011 American Le Mans Series, 2012 European Le Mans Series and the 2013 Nürburgring 24h. “Dunlop’s priority with the ELMS tyre has been to blend the technology from these open-tyre championships with the parity, consistency and versatility needed to cater for a range of cars in one-brand races’ stated Jean-Felix Bazelin, Motorsport Operations Director.
The new Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyre has been tested at five different circuits on a range of cars. Initial feedback has shown that the new tyre has more mid-corner grip, improved durability and better traction than its predecessor. Dunlop have also focused on having one tyre specification versatile enough to cope with a diverse range of circuits and temperatures. “In open tyre competition, teams can select a specification that is uniquely optimised for that circuit and climate. In this new championship, we wanted to reduce complexity for the teams by bringing one tyre that worked across all climates” added Bazelin.