Vitour Tempesta P1: Rise of a Motorsport Tyre Revolution

Vitour Tempesta P1: The Passion-Driven Rise of a Motorsport Tyre Revolution

In the highly competitive world of 200TW street-legal race tyres, a new challenger is reshaping expectations — the Vitour Tempesta P1. But behind this emerging force is a story of craftsmanship, strategy, and sheer determination. In an exclusive conversation between Mike Young (SCCA Indy Region Executive) and Vitour’s founder Jeff, we uncover the driving philosophy behind the Tempesta P1 and Vitour’s mission to redefine the Chinese tyre narrative.

From Humble Beginnings to High Performance

Jeff, a 25-year veteran of the tyre industry, began his journey in China working for a large government-owned tyre enterprise. In 2007, driven by a desire to break away from the low-cost, low-quality perception of Chinese tyres, he founded Vitour with the intent to create something different, premium, and competitive with global giants like Michelin, Bridgestone, and Continental and Yokohama.

“We don’t want to repeat what everyone else is doing. Our goal is to challenge the stereotype of Chinese tyres being cheap and low-quality.”
Jeff, Vitour Founder

Engineering Excellence: The 4Ms of a Great Tyre

Jeff attributes Vitour’s tyre quality to what he calls the 4Ms:

Materials

Over 100 premium ingredients are used in their tyres — including imported carbon black from the U.S., steel cords from Belgium, and advanced rubber from Japan and Germany.

Machinery

State-of-the-art manufacturing equipment ensures consistency and precision.

Moulds

All tyre moulds are sourced from Highmile — the world’s leading mould manufacturer used by industry giants.

Manpower

Vitour employs top engineers from Germany and Japan to lead R&D, emphasizing design, quality control, and innovation.
This meticulous approach culminated in the launch of the Tempesta P1, Vitour’s flagship 200TW performance tyre.

Tempesta P1: More Than Just a Fast Tyre

The Tempesta P1 was born from conversations with grassroots and professional racers. The objective? Create a tyre that balances speed and longevity.

Longer tread life: Internal testing suggests durability equivalent to 240–260 TW, offering 2–4× the life of many competitors.

Peak lap performance: Independent testers and users have confirmed its fast warm-up time and competitive pace.

Eco & budget-friendly: Racers save money with fewer sets per season and reduce waste — making it a smart choice for both wallet and planet.

“Our goal was to make the fastest tyre for lap times, that also lasts longer. If a rival lasts 2 weekends, we want ours to last 4.”
Jeff, Vitour Founder

Real Motorsport Success: From Formula D to SCCA

Vitour didn’t just build a tyre — they proved it on the track:

Their first-generation Enzo tyre earned approval for Formula Drift USA, becoming the only Chinese brand among 25 others to be officially recognised.

Irish drifter Conor Shanahan recently won Formula Drift Round 3 in Orlando on Vitour tyres, marking a milestone for the brand on U.S. soil.

After success in drifting, Vitour continued their developments this time focusing their efforts on becoming the fastest 200TW tyre for autocross, time attack, and circuit-racing. The result is the Tempesta P1.

Not Just Performance: A Global Tyre Powerhouse

Though motorsport is the spotlight, Vitour is a significant player globally:

20+ million tyres annually across passenger, commercial, off-road, winter, and classic segments.

Over 800 sizes including brands like Ice Line, Formula Z, Galaxy R1, and White Line.

Vision for the Future: Protecting Every Journey

The name Vitour blends the ideas of “Victory” and “Tour”, representing both performance and the protection of every journey. In Chinese, it symbolizes a “guardian of the road”.

“Vitour means we protect your journey — like a guardian of your trip.”
Jeff, Vitour Founder

Final Thoughts: Vitour Is Here to Stay

The Vitour Tempesta P1 isn’t just another 200TW tyre — it’s the result of global collaboration, elite engineering, and relentless testing. It’s a tyre built to challenge the old guard and redefine expectations for what a “Chinese tyre” can be.
With a new world wide presence, growing grassroots support, and proven track performance, Vitour is poised to become a household name in motorsport — one fast lap and one long-lasting set at a time.

Facebook discussion groups:

Australia: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vitouraustralia

America: https://www.facebook.com/groups/930284375459160