Pirelli accelerates rigorous Formula One tire testing program

Jan. 1, 2020
Pirelli's pre-season Formula One tire testing entered its latest phase with the company's wet and intermediate rubber taking to the track for the first time.
Pirelli's pre-season Formula One tire testing entered its latest phase with the company's wet and intermediate rubber taking to the track for the first time.

The test, conducted at the Valencia course in eastern Spain, also marked the official debut of Pedro de la Rosa as Pirelli's new driver.

Following efforts to define both the compound and structure of the company's slicks – which will be offered to Formula One teams in four different variants next year – the focus has now switched to tires for wet conditions.

"It's a real pleasure for me to be working with Pirelli this year, and I'm delighted to have finally had the chance to try out these tires," says De la Rosa. "We completed all the work we wanted to do during this initial session, and now we have a clearer idea about future avenues for development."

Valencia, a well-known Formula One testing site that is also famous for hosting motorcycle races, was chosen because of its technical and compact nature, allowing Pirelli's engineers to assess every aspect of the tire's performance, according to motorsports director Paul Hembery.

 

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In order to make the track wet, it was sprayed with water during both days of the two-day test; a light covering to check the performance of the new intermediate tires and then a denser covering to try out the full wet rubber. Although conditions remained warm and dry in Valencia, with ambient temperatures in the region of 75 degrees Fahrenheit, it is easier to test wet tires when it is not actually raining as the water on the track dries more consistently. This enables accurate data to be recorded: an essential priority when testing, Hembery explains.

Driving last year's Toyota TF109 used by Pirelli, de la Rosa covered just over 650 kilometers during the course of the two days, having started his program running on slicks in order to establish a benchmark time.

He was recruited because of his recent Formula One experience and renowned testing abilities, which allowed him to give plenty of useful feedback, says Hembery.

"It's been great working with Pedro de la Rosa, whose experience has given us a well-informed perspective on the characteristics of our tires. As we were running our intermediate and wet tires for the very first time, effectively our program was starting from scratch once more," he recounts.

"We worked through our schedule exactly as planned, and we were able to get an initial impression of our performance in wet and drying conditions. This has enabled us to identify the areas in which we are strong and the areas that we need to develop further, which is always the aim in testing," Hembery reports. "So far our schedule is going exactly to plan, and we look forward to continuing our work at what is a very exciting time for us during the next test sessions as well as back at base in Milan."

 

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Pirelli also used the Valencia test to carry out development of its new GP2 rubber, with Giorgio Pantano driving the new Renault-powered single-seater; the next tire test will be at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona at the end of the month.

For more information, visit www.us.pirelli.com.

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