How Goodyear's WEC tyres are even better this year

After Goodyear’s return to the top of endurance racing in 2020, this year was to prove pivotal for the tyre manufacturer.

An exclusive deal to provide the tyres for the World Endurance Championship’s LMGT3 class - which is debuting this year on the grid - was confirmed in 2023.

Goodyear dubbed it to be the manufacturer’s ‘biggest year in endurance racing’ since its comeback four years ago.

Three rounds into the campaign and there will be plenty of data and understanding from the drivers’ point of view.

With the new tyres already proving quite popular amongst the grid, one key aspect has been getting them up to temperature - something which is crucial in any form of motorsport.

And during the last WEC event at Spa, Iron Dames driver Sarah Bovy said the tyres are already showing their worth.

“I mean it's not as challenging as [it is] in a hypercar [to warm up the tyres]. I've never driven a hypercar, but I've been talking with those guys, and we know that it can be very, very difficult for them,” she said.

“I think it's easier, actually, this year than it was last year with the GTE. Because there's more electronic systems in the car that are helping the drivers avoid flat spots and stuff like that.

“We haven't had a proper cold race. I'm thinking about WEC last year here when it was almost not completely dry when we took the start, and that was really, really difficult with the slick tyres.

“But here I didn't feel like it was any more a big issue.”

Clearly her positive feelings with the new tyres proved to be true, as she took pole position ahead of last weekend’s race with two laps that were good enough to secure the top spot.

A pole on home turf was the perfect start to the weekend for the 35-year-old.

And with conditions at Spa proving to be relatively cool, Bovy said it comes down to the driver when getting the best out of the tyres.

“I think the Goodyear tyres are good tyres for that exercise and we don't meet too much issue with that,” she explained.

“That being said, it's still a point where we can win or lose a lot if you have a driver that is confident in those conditions or not.

“So it's also a point that we are working on because the out lap can be a lap where you make a gap or where you get one.”