From Road to Racetrack: Sumitomo Rubber Advances Safety, Efficiency and Durability

Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ SENSING CORE technology unlocks new safety and strategy gains for Falken Tyre´s Porsche 911 GT3 R.

As part of creating a safer and more sustainable future, SENSING CORE, a sensorless technology developed by Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (SRI), has been tested throughout the 2025 Nürburgring Ring Endurance (NLS) season on both Falken Porsche 911 GT3 R. In harsh motorsport conditions, it demonstrated its potential to enhance safety, efficiency and even optimise the timing of pit stops.

Unlike conventional systems, SENSING CORE uses the tyre itself as a sensor to continuously monitor in real-time tyre wear, road surface, wheel load and pressure without the need for additional hardware. Crucially, the system also detects loose wheel nuts, making a significant contribution to vehicle safety. By networking the data via the cloud, valuable information about road or track conditions can be shared – a benefit for both passenger car and motorsport applications.

Throughout 2025, SENSING CORE was deployed in every NLS race at the Nürburgring to monitor tyre pressures and deflation. On multiple occasions during the season, the team was alerted ahead of warnings from the traditional sensors,

enabling it to switch its strategy to earlier pit stops and prevent damage to the race cars. The tests demonstrated how reliably the technology performs, even under the most extreme environmental stresses of the Nordschleife.

With this technology now proven in motorsport, Sumitomo Rubber Industries reinforces its commitment to making mobility safer, more efficient and more sustainable in more applications such as autonomous fleets.

More information about SENSING CORE technology is available here: https://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/innovation/report_02.html