Pirelli becomes first main partner of Electric GT Championship

Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli has entered into a partnership with the Electric GT Championship, a newly-formed electric car-racing series.

Pirelli will serve as the exclusive tyre supplier of the series, which is scheduled to hold its first season in 2017.

The EGT Championship claims the deal will mark the first time that both slick and wet tyre compounds are supplied specifically for electric race cars. The series will comprise 20 identical Tesla Model S version P85+ cars, with Pirelli set to supply tyres for each of the 10 teams.

Pirelli becomes the EGT Championship’s first major partner and series chief executive Mark Gemmell said discussions were ongoing with “other exciting companies which we hope to confirm within the coming weeks.”

The first season of the EGT Championship will feature seven races. Germany’s Nurburgring, France’s Circuit Paul Ricard and the UK’s Donington Park have so far been pencilled in as host circuits. Three non-championship events will also be held in the Americas.