As the official tyre supplier to Formula One, Pirelli are in a prime position to build on it to further expand their market and the Italian tyre maker aims to do just that on our shores following a new tie-up with tyre distributor Kit Loong Tayaria that will see Pirelli passenger car tyres be made more accessible to consumers through a nationwide network of suppliers.
“Both the Australian and Malaysian Grand Prix have shown that Pirelli’s tyres will make a strong impact in the 2011 Formula One season. There was a lot of interest in the Malaysian leg event on how the tyres impacted race strategy and made the race more exciting. The use of the Pirelli tyres in Formula One have definitely brought more awareness of Pirelli in Malaysia,” said Chiu Loo Tong, Executive Director of Pirelli Asia.
The plan to expand the availablity of Pirelli tyres here is backed by strong support from Pirelli's production facility in Yanzhou, China. Capable of producing over 4 million tyres annually, the plant supports the bulk of Pirelli's demand in the Asia-Pacific region and is one of the handful of plants in China capable of making high-performance tyres.
Kit Loong Tayaria possesses over 80 years of experience in the local tyre industry and will use that to make an extensive range of Pirelli tyres, from the high-performance P Zero to the eco-friendly Cinturato, available over a wider network in the country.
“Kit Loong Tayaria sees great potential in our partnership with Pirelli in Malaysia, especially with the greater visibility granted through its relationship with Formula One. We are already seeing more customers enquiring about Pirelli’s products and with our extensive customer service, we will make quality Pirelli tyres available through an extensive dealer network in Malaysia,” said Jacob Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Kit Loong Tayaria.
Also present at the event was Paul Hembery, Pirelli's Director of Motorsport. He took a moment to share his views on the race, "The Malaysian Grand Prix turned into a battle of strategy and bravery from start to finish, where choosing the right tyres at the right time was absolutely crucial."
As the tyres become a talking point in Formula One this season with its increased wear rate turning it more so into a battlle of with and strategy, the hype generated can only do favours for the Pirelli brand locally.
