Building on a highly successful debut season in 2023, SL Apollo Tyres Trucksport has carried out extensive preparatory work over the winter to optimise the race truck’s competitiveness and reliability. A key aim is to eradicate the mechanical issues that beset them last year, thereby maximising the potential for race wins across the demanding five-month season to come.
In the 2023 season SL Apollo Tyres Trucksport achieved multiple podium finishes, as well as an impressive third place in the overall Championship. In addition, team driver Sascha Lenz took home the prestigious Driver’s Driver Award, which is voted for by the other FIA ETRC competitors, in recognition of his individual performances throughout the season.
This season, the 36-year-old German will compete in eight rounds at renowned circuits across Europe, including the iconic Nürburgring and Le Mans, before the final race at Circuito de Madrid Jarama in Spain on 5 October.
The upcoming FIA ETRC season will see the introduction of a series of technical changes mandated by the FIA governing body, including a requirement for a new tyre compound and new restrictions on front axles. This will be the most comprehensive array of technical changes in recent history, which will significantly alter the characteristics of each truck, most notably for braking and suspension response.
Leveraging its expertise in simulation software, Apollo Tyres has analysed and defined the best setups throughout the year to help develop an innovative new axle that provides the team’s MAN TGS truck with high levels of stability during cornering and at high speeds. With key rivals building and testing new race trucks for the upcoming season, SL Apollo Tyres Trucksport is positioned to secure victories from the early stages of the Championship.
“Securing multiple podium places last season was a stunning outcome for Sascha and the team,” says Yves Pouliquen, Group Head of Sales and Marketing at Apollo Tyres Europe. “They have been hard at work refining the truck and implementing improvements across the board to ensure that we are contenders for more race wins in 2024. With valuable insights gained over a challenging debut season, and we are very confident about our ability to meet some ambitious new targets.”