Pirelli & Circuit of the Americas Inauguration

The ID Agency was on hand to help Pirelli and Circuit of the Americas (COTA) inaugurate the newest and most technologically advanced track in the United States last weekend in Austin, Texas as Formula 1 prepares to make its return stateside November 16–18. The invitation-only 'First Lap Ceremony' kicked off with COTA's official ambassador, and former Formula One World Champion driver Mario Andretti cutting a black-and-white checkered banner that crossed the starting grid.

Working alongside Pirelli, ID hand-selected a group of 20 journalists to be the first to experience COTA as it nears final completion stages. Aside from all-access to a preview of the track, guests were invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with Lotus F1 team test driver Jerome D'Ambrosio, who conducted ride-alongs in a custom F1 3-seater car built on the Jordan GP chassis – one of only two available in the world. For the general public, the Formula GP Experience will be in Las Vegas October 29 – November 2, and Austin, Texas November 9–19.

Pirelli also launched the latest addition to its Cinturato family: the Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. An environmentally-friendly, high-performance tire for touring and luxury touring cars, the Cinturato P7 A/S Plus boats a 15 percent reduction in rolling resistance compared to previous Pirelli A/S  tires, providing a two to three percent savings in fuel consumption. Produced using a highly aromatic oil-free compound and six percent less raw materials, the P7 A/S Plus has a silica-based tread compound for better mileage and noise reduction. Pirelli's Cinturato P7 All Season Plus tire will be available beginning in 2013.