The New MICHELIN Pilot Sport Cup2 R tyre

A faster option for the Ferrari 488 Pista

Michelin have developed a specific version of the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tyre for use on the Ferrari 488 Pista. The new tyre which is marked K1* was designed to meet Ferrari’s requirements for greater grip during track driving. Homologated for the road, the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tyre delivers extreme dry performance with ultimate cornering precision at high speed in exchange for only a partial trade-off in terms of wet grip, aquaplaning and wear.

In common with all the tyres developed by Michelin in collaboration with Ferrari, extensive use was made of the two companies’ driving simulators. Ferrari test drivers worked in parallel and alongside Michelin’s engineers using Michelin TameTire®, a physical tyre modelling simulator software developed by Michelin which allows the drivers to test the virtual tyre before undertaking traditional testing on track.

The new Michelin Pilot Cup Sport Cup2 R uses a tread compound developed for motor sport. By increasing the structural stiffness of the tyre, Michelin engineers have enabled the compound to benefit from the additional grip provided by a specific tread pattern. The result is a 10% increase in ground contact and 5% higher overall grip, compared to the standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 fitment for the car.

Pierre Chaput, the engineer responsible for developing the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R tyre for the Ferrari 488 Pista commented: “The challenge was to push the limits of grip of the 488 Pista even further. Thanks to the “R” version of the Pilot Sport Cup2, we have made a big gain in lap time performance while maintaining the driving pleasure and responsiveness that are the characteristics of the Ferrari 488 Pista”.

From March 2019, Ferrari will be offering the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup2 R as an option for the 488 Pista in the following dimensions:
● Front: 245 / 35ZR20 (95Y) PS CUP2 R K1
● Rear: 305 / 30ZR20 (103Y) PS CUP2 R K1
*A K1 or K2 marking indicates that the Michelin tyre was designed specifically for a Ferrari model.