F1 returned to the Nürburgring, with the first day of Pirelli testing

This is not quite the same as the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix, which was held due to a Covid-19 pandemic that forced the Formula 1 to cancel a large part of its scheduled races, but current-year F1 cars returned to the track at the Nürburgring this Tuesday! George Russell and Oscar piastri have indeed participated in the first of two days of Pirelli testing, organized so that the Italian manufacturer can continue its work on tires in preparation for the 2027 season.

As is often the case in April, the two drivers were greeted by a slightly damp track in the morning, which forced several installation laps on intermediate tires. Once the track was sufficiently dry, Russell and Piastri were able to focus on the main part of their work: the slick tires, and in particular the C3s, which Pirelli had brought with a new construction.

The two drivers began with sets of eight laps on several versions of the C3 tire, and the version judged by the drivers to have the most potential was then tested on longer runs. This was certainly the case on the Mercedes Benz Russell's W17 #63, since Piastri was forced to stop his program earlier than planned, due to a mechanical problem on his MCL40.

After 127 laps, George Russell finished with the fastest time of 1:33.899, while Oscar Piastri's best of the 65 laps completed was 1:35.096. Pirelli testing continues in the Eifel region this Wednesday, with the other drivers from both teams at the wheel, including the reigning world champion. Lando Norris and the current world championship leader, Kimi Antonelli.

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