The benefits of this are multiple. First of all, they don’t need to offer the full range of sizes to stake their claim as a racing tyre manufacturer. And I need to stress I’m talking about road car racing, not F1 racers, as those tyres are basically rocket science at this point. Many Chinese factories seem to have launched their racing tyre range for a very specific purpose, as they only have a few sizes, and sometimes very odd ones. For example, I saw a factory with just three different sizes for their racing tyre pattern, and one of them was 255/55R18. Just in case you want to rock your BMW X5 on the racing track, maybe? I can’t help but giggle at the image of drifting SUVs. Secondly, they don’t even need to be very good at it, or to be able to make very innovative products. It’s much easier to develop a product for a very specific purpose and just make it ‘good enough’, without engaging in the top five percent where all the heavy investment and R&D is needed to churn out those milliseconds that make all the difference for the top performers. Actually, when catering to the segment that just wants to burn tyres – drifters, for example – the usually all-important grip factor suddenly becomes negligible. And offering a budget option is attractive to those burning tyres on their own bill.

Design wise also racing tyres are very different from regular car tyres, in that they’re basically slicks with a flashy looking single lightning groove from close to the centre to the edge. Hard to make that design truly unique, but that also means that nobody can be blamed when designing something a bit too similar to something already on the market. Function before looks in this case, I’m sure. And in terms of rubber compounds, there are usually two or three different ones, depending on specific client needs, and they’re made to order. The hardest compounds are naturally for the drifters, and the softer ones for track racing.

But, in spite of the designs being simple, compounds not challenging to make, and the fact that the size range doesn’t need to be extensive, launching a racing tyre range still somehow reflects positively on all the regular passenger car tyres in the manufacturer’s range. As if the fact that they can design and produce tyres for high-performance racing machines also means that their standard range offers better handling or on-road performance to vehicles run by weekend warriors or others who might drive a station wagon, but really are race car drivers at heart.

That is, of course, if the Chinese budget manufacturers used this in their global marketing strategy – and in most cases, had one to begin with. The days where Chinese tyres could be sold on price alone are over, as output has far exceeded demand, but it’s striking to see how few have actually invested in their future market shares. For the layman, trying to name five major Chinese tyre manufacturers (or any of their brands) would be a tall order. Trying to name any that produce racing tyres would be even harder. Even for those inside the industry, very few know how many produce racing tyres or other specialised tyre products, because they often produce for a single client and don’t use this in active marketing. And no, a ‘sales manager’ posting a picture on LinkedIn doesn’t count. The brands and tyre manufacturers in China that will prevail are those able to build a global marketing strategy and naturally possess the skills to stay at the front of product development and gradually move out of the ultra-budget segment. The rest will learn the hardship of selling cheap tyres on price alone when China isn’t cheap anymore. (TT)

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Webfleet, the fleet management arm of Bridgestone, used the IAA Transportation event to introduce its Commercial Trip Monitor, a free online benchmarking tool that assesses how easily vans and trucks move through 32 major European cities. Initial results suggest operating conditions are growing tougher in numerous urban centres.

The monitor refreshes monthly, drawing on anonymised, aggregated commercial vehicle data to track shifts in fleet operating conditions over time. Because it examines repeat business journeys rather than general traffic, it offers operators and city stakeholders a clearer picture of where urban operations are improving or deteriorating. Even minor changes in reach or idling can reduce productivity, raise fuel use and increase emissions.

Two core metrics underpin the platform. The 15-Minute Reach metric shows how far a typical van or truck travels in a fixed quarter-hour, with higher scores indicating greater distance covered. Idling Intensity measures the share of a journey spent stationary with the engine running, where a higher percentage signals more wasted time. Users can rank cities, compare performance and follow trends.

Early 2026 data revealed sharp contrasts. Zaragoza, Apeldoorn and Utrecht posted the strongest average 15-Minute Reach rankings, while Berlin, Paris and Kraków were the most difficult. Poland was the only country where every analysed city improved year-on-year while idling stayed stable or fell. Rome and Milan improved on reach, yet Milan recorded Europe’s highest Idling Intensity at 21 percent, against Paris’s 16 percent. Berlin finished last overall, with Munich, Leipzig and Hamburg covering 4.4 percent, 4.3 percent and 3.3 percent less ground respectively than in 2025. Users can also examine trip volumes, distance, CO₂ emissions, fuel consumption and local conditions.

Webfleet developed the methodology with mobility intelligence specialist Mobito, leveraging over 25 years of fleet experience and one of Europe’s largest connected vehicle ecosystems.

Jan-Maarten de Vries, President – Fleet Management Solutions, Bridgestone, said, “The Webfleet Commercial Trip Monitor provides a clearer picture of urban mobility through the lens of fleet operations. Commercial vehicles do not experience cities the way commuters and consumers do. They follow different routes, operate under different regulations, make multiple stops and load and unload. When conditions change due to congestion, roadworks, low-emission zones, regulation or major events, fleet businesses often feel the impact first. Even relatively small changes can affect productivity, operating costs, fuel use and emissions.”

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) strengthened its ties with the worldwide rubber sector by attending the 12th International Rubber Glove Conference & Exhibition (IRGCE) 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, which ran from 8 to 10 September 2026. With ‘Synergising Innovation: Redefine the Future of Rubber Glove Ecosystem’ as its theme, the gathering drew together manufacturers, technologists, industry leaders and other players from around the world.

Their discussions revolved around innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth across the rubber glove ecosystem. Dr Suttipong Angthong, ANRPC Secretary-General, addressed the plenary session ‘Economic Synergies and Sustainable Initiatives for the Glove Ecosystem’, delivering a presentation titled ‘Navigating the Global Natural Rubber Outlook’. His remarks covered major trends affecting the world natural rubber market and what they mean for glove producers.

Dr Angthong and Dr Lekshmi Nair of ANRPC also used the event's sidelines for high-level talks with international partners. With the Latin American Rubber Association (SLTC), the focus was on possible Asian-Latin American cooperation among natural rubber-producing nations, especially sharing knowledge and building capacity through experiences and best practices. A joint session with the China Synthetic Rubber Industry Association (CSRIA) pinpointed areas for collaboration in both natural and synthetic rubber, such as exchanging data and publications and taking part in one another's events.

Talks with TechnoBiz centred on possible partnerships for organising rubber industry events alongside programmes in ANRPC member countries. Altogether, the engagements confirmed ANRPC's dedication to international cooperation, knowledge exchange and strategic partnerships, creating new openings with partners across Asia and Latin America.

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Hankook Tire has secured a multi-year original equipment agreement with Schmitz Cargobull, Europe’s foremost trailer manufacturer. The arrangement commenced on 1 July 2026 and will continue through June 2030, marking Hankook’s re-entry into the European commercial vehicle tyre original equipment market.

Under the deal, Schmitz Cargobull will fit Hankook trailer tyres ex-works on a portion of its newly built semi-trailers and trailers. The tyre range encompasses the Smart Line series for long-distance haulage, Smart Flex for regional and local distribution and Smart Work for off-road construction applications.

(From left): Andreas Schmitz, CEO, Schmitz Cargobull AG, and Jongho Park, President and COO, Hankook Tire Europe

The agreement also extends to the used-trailer segment. Schmitz Cargobull produces curtainsiders, dry freight containers, refrigerated semi-trailers, container chassis and tippers across three German plants plus facilities in Great Britain, Spain, Lithuania, Romania and Turkey.

Jongho Park, President and COO, Hankook Tire Europe, said, “The development of the European logistics market opens up new potential for close partnerships in the commercial vehicle tyre segment, which is increasingly important to us from a strategic perspective. As an industry leader, Schmitz Cargobull has particularly high standards in terms of quality, performance, efficiency and sustainability. We are proud that our tyres meet all these criteria and are delighted about the strategic partnership.”

Andreas Schmitz, CEO, Schmitz Cargobull, said, “With Hankook, we are gaining a capable partner whose high-quality tyres are the perfect complement to our portfolio. In addition to the product qualities, reliability of supply for our European production sites was an important consideration. The agreement will enable us to offer the right tyre solutions for different applications, whether long-distance transport, regional transport or use on construction sites, while also taking into consideration our customers’ requirements for cost-effectiveness and operational reliability.”

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Pirelli will bring the E1089 soft-compound development front tyre to Moto2 riders for the Austrian Grand Prix next weekend. The tyre, which debuted at Aragón and drew positive feedback, shares the SC1's structure but uses a different compound. At the Red Bull Ring, with its many braking zones and heavy decelerations, the E1089 could deliver greater stability, especially under braking. The range SC1 completes the front allocation, allowing riders to compare both options directly.

For the rear, Pirelli is confirming last year's allocation, offering the SCX supersoft. In 2024, as the E0126 development specification, it won both qualifying and the race. The range SC0 soft serves as the alternative, also present at the Red Bull Ring last year as a development solution and potentially useful if temperatures drop.

In Moto3, both axles will have the SC1 soft and SC2 medium compounds. In 2025, Argentina's Valentin Perrone (KTM) took Saturday's pole and Sunday's victory using the SC2 front and SC1 rear, the latter unanimously selected by the entire grid, while the two front options were chosen equally.

The Red Bull Ring is atypical, just over four kilometres long with only 11 corners, eight right and three left. Its layout demands braking stability, strong corner entry and good traction out of slow corners. The asphalt generally offers low grip with limited wear, and weather could matter greatly, as this year's race falls in early autumn rather than mid-August, meaning potentially lower temperatures.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “The Austrian Grand Prix represents a further opportunity to continue the development work on Moto2™ front tyres, which began in Aragón and continued at Misano. On a track that differs significantly from MotorLand Aragón, with severe braking, strong acceleration and few high-speed corners, we will once again make the E1089 soft front specification available. This will allow us to broaden its evaluation and continue the comparison with the range SC1. The objective is to gather further data and feedback that will be useful for the development of this solution.

“At the rear, we are confirming last year’s allocation with the SCX, which also originated as a development tyre. Introduced in 2025 as the E0126 specification and subsequently added to the range, it is now the category benchmark. If weather conditions are favourable, it will be interesting to assess the performance gains compared with last season, both over a flying lap and across race distance. In the event of lower temperatures, riders will also have the range SC0 soft at their disposal, which was introduced at the Red Bull Ring in 2025 as the E0125 development solution. The Austrian event will also be particularly relevant looking ahead. On the Monday following the race, the Spielberg circuit will host a private test session dedicated to the tyres that will be used by the premier class next season, providing an important opportunity to continue data collection and development work ahead of Pirelli’s debut as the World Championship single tyre supplier.”

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