Drifting is one of the most spectacular forms of motorsport, and one that is particularly demanding on the tyres. Drivers need predictable, stable performance to perform their precision manoeuvres on the circuit. Therefore, it is something of a coup for the Westlake tyre brand, the global flagship tyre marque of leading Chinese manufacturer ZC Rubber to have become the tyre partner of the globally renowned Red Bull Driftbrothers German drifting team.
The team now relies on Westlake Sport RS tyres from ZC Rubber for its two 1,000 hp BMW M4s. The new co-operation celebrated its premiere at this year’s ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring. In the pre-programme of the legendary race, the Red Bull Driftbrothers completed a show drift on the new Westlake Sport RS tyres.
Westlake Sport RS tyre (Photo: Gruppe C Photography)
Due to the high track temperatures, Westlake’s tyres were particularly challenged. The choice of tyres generally plays a decisive role in drifting, as maximum consistent grip and control are required for the high-precision manoeuvres.
ZC Rubber says its Red Bull Driftbrothers partnership is “set up for the long term” and offers “numerous added values” to both sides. Providing the team with tyres will, among other things, serve technological development based on feedback from driver and engineer of Red Bull Driftbrothers, Elias Hountondji. In addition, ZC Rubber wants to use the partnership to further increase awareness of the Westlake brand on the European market. The demonstration of the quality and performance of the products and technologies under extreme conditions is also a clear signal to the OEM and replacement market in Europe.
Henry Shen, deputy general manager of ZC Rubber Group: “We’re proud to be the tyre partner of Red Bull Driftbrothers. Their trust in Westlake, especially the performance of our SPORT RS on the demanding drift circuit, is a powerful endorsement. This partnership is built on a shared drive to push boundaries, and we’re excited to support their passion with our technology on the global stage.”
Hountondji added: “We are very excited about the partnership with Westlake Performance Tyres and ZC Rubber. Tyres are crucial for our sport. They have to withstand extreme abuse while providing a consistently high level of grip right to the end. The Westlake Sport RS is the perfect choice for this. It is extremely stable across the entire temperature range and the entire tread depth. Even with a very low tread pattern, you still have complete confidence as a driver.”
The partnership was initiated by the Munich marketing agency die agentour, which is also in charge of communicative activation.
