The Champions' Factory Opens Its Doors
As part of tyre giant Pirelli's 150th anniversary celebrations, Pirelli Türkiye executives met journalists at the Kocaeli Factory. At the gathering, which presented the brand's transformation from its past to the present – a history rich in industry, culture, tradition, technology and passion – members of the press had the chance to discover Pirelli Türkiye's innovative technologies and the products that have also delivered unrivalled success in motorsport.
Meeting Castrol Ford Türkiye Team Director Serdar Bostancı and Ali Türkkan, one of Turkey's most talented young drivers and a European and Balkan Cup junior champion, the press heard about Pirelli's global journey and its leadership in Turkey from Pirelli Türkiye CEO Gian Paolo Gatti Comini and Pirelli Türkiye Motorsport Factory Manager Atilla Gidergi. Turkish Rally Champion Serdar Bostancı spoke about the place of Pirelli's Kocaeli factory in both his own sporting career and Turkish motorsport.
Gatti Comini: "Pirelli Türkiye will continue to be a trendsetter in the tyre industry"
In his presentation in the motorsport showroom at the Izmit factory, Gatti Comini said that Pirelli has had a pioneering vision throughout its 150-year history thanks to the technologies it has developed and the products it has offered. Gatti Comini said: "Founded in Milan 150 years ago, our company continues to invest in technology and innovation today at its 19 factories in 12 countries. Combining its sustainability outlook with the new production models made possible by digitalisation and Industry 4.0, Pirelli transfers its motorsport experience and know-how to car tyres, meeting the specific needs of the most sophisticated customers. Thanks to the tailor-made approach it has developed through cooperation with a variety of manufacturers to date, it holds a place as the apple of the eye of premium car makers." 
Noting that Pirelli, founded in 1872, grew into a global brand through its groundbreaking technologies, its success in top-segment products and a passion for innovation inspired by its Italian roots, Gatti Comini said: "Pirelli Türkiye holds a privileged place within the Pirelli Group. We will always continue to be a trendsetter in the tyre industry through our production strength and the products we make in Turkey. We believe in Turkey's potential and will continue to grow with Turkey. While we remain on the circuits and the roads with the products we offer for new-generation vehicles, in the future too we will make safety, efficiency, durability and sustainability our compass."
Gidergi: "We are the home of global motorsport successes"
Noting that Pirelli has been passionately committed to motorsport for 115 years, Gidergi explained that Pirelli is the choice of world-famous drivers in the world's most prestigious competitions, such as the World Rally Championship (WRC), GrandAm, Ferrari Challenge, Porsche Cup and the Blancpain GT series. Gidergi said: "Pirelli's Izmit Factory, the first tyre production facility in Turkey, has been producing more than 400 different types of racing tyre for motorsport since 2007. Our production facilities, where we are gathered today and which are also known as the 'Champions' Factory', stand out with a history of more than 60 years and technologies that make us proud in the world's most prestigious races. Thanks to the tyres produced through the valuable efforts of our colleagues, we are the home of Pirelli's global motorsport successes. We have contributed to more than 340 championship titles and more than 2,200 car and motorcycle races across five continents. We will continue this support in the future with products featuring new technologies."
Bostancı: "Dozens of championships with Pirelli is no coincidence"
Castrol Ford Türkiye Team Director Serdar Bostancı stressed that the Pirelli brand has always given drivers confidence and delivered superior performance in racing, saying: "The Pirelli brand has played a major part both in my own driving career and, afterwards, in the championships our team has won in Turkey and Europe." Noting that having the best tyre is a prerequisite in an environment like motorsport, where the limits of driver and car are pushed and competition is at the highest level, Bostancı said: "Even if we have the best car and the best driver, the only thing that makes the connection between us and the road surface is our tyres. That is why the dozens of championships we have won during our more than 40 years of cooperation with Pirelli are no coincidence."
The "champions' factory" sits at the heart of Pirelli's motorsport
Together with Pirelli's famous research and development unit in Milan, the "champions' factory" in Izmit plays a very important role in the Italian company's motorsport programme. More than 450 employees work solely on racing tyre production in the factory's 36,000 m² additional facility. A dedicated team of more than 1,000 people worldwide handles a diverse range of motorsport requirements, including races ranging from the hugely popular Brazilian Stock Car series to other Asian championships such as China GT and the FIA GT World Cup in Macau. Just like the talented young engineers working in Izmit… Because the real secret of Pirelli's success, both on the roads and on the circuits, lies in the skills and passion of its employees.
