Pirelli in working order for F1 testing at Jerez

After finally extending his contract with the F1 for three years, Pirelli can concentrate on the development of its tires for the 2014 season. These slightly heavier compounds (250g for the rear tires and 200g for the front tires) than the previous ones will have a new structure to follow the new regulations in force this season.

The teams will be entitled to 25 sets of tires for the Jerez tests which begin tomorrow (30 for the two sessions in Bahrain). All types of rubber will be made available, but the teams will benefit from specific "winter" tires (hard rubber) reserved for this week's tests which will notably limit graining with the cool temperatures. The Italian manufacturer is also planning a day of testing held only on a wet track. Friday has been chosen for these tests with the grooved tires if the rain does not appear this week.

“This first test session will be an opportunity to see how the new cars behave with the new tires, considering the differences that exist between all the cars. Jerez will be an official test session but also a learning opportunity for everyone”, comments Paul Hembery, Pirelli sporting director. “These new tires have as many differences with previous models as the new single-seaters do with their older sisters. The teams lost a lot of time during last year's tests due to the cold in Spain. We even saw ice on the track at one point. We have therefore developed a specific “winter” version of the hard tire which will only be used in Jerez. »