Goodyear returns to the historic Interlagos circuit this weekend for the 6 Hours of São Paulo, where all 18 LMGT3 entries will compete on Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium tires at round four of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The Eagle Medium’s broad operating window and proven consistency across a wide range of temperatures and conditions make it well suited to the demands of Interlagos, a circuit known for both its technical challenge and unpredictable weather patterns.
The choice of the Eagle Medium represents a change from last year, when Goodyear introduced its Eagle Hard compound at Interlagos.
Despite being the championship’s shortest circuit, Interlagos’ anti-clockwise layout with a combination of long corners, sweeping elevation changes and heavy braking zones places sustained loads through the tires over a lap. The circuit’s left hand bias places particular strain on the rear-right tire, as the track’s twisting infield corner sequences leave little opportunity for tires to cool.
Goodyear expects that this year’s race will therefore reward a direct strategy with a focus on single stints, as teams are likely to prioritise extracting maximum performance from each set of tires rather than pursuing multi-stint strategies.
“We expect to see relatively little variation in strategy this weekend,” said Stephen Bickley, Goodyear Endurance Program Manager. “The nature of the circuit means degradation is higher, so teams will use their increased allocations to focus on extracting maximum performance, likely equipping new tires at each stop.
“Teams could look at double stinting the unloaded left side of the car and may extend stints under safety car or full course yellow conditions, but we expect to see consistent strategies down the pit lane.”
Interlagos is known for its changing weather conditions, with rain showers capable of affecting different parts of the circuit at different times. In addition to the slick tires used in dry conditions, teams will also have access to the Goodyear Racing Eagle Wet tire, featuring a tread pattern designed to disperse surface water and provide grip in wet conditions.
“We have a very good understanding of the Goodyear Racing Eagle Medium at Interlagos,” Bickley added. “We raced on this tire at Interlagos two years ago and it performed consistently across varying track temperatures and mixed weather conditions. This is the right compound for us to bring this weekend.”
Goodyear Racing Eagle tires are also in action this weekend in the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series races at EchoPark Speedway, and in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park.
