Pirelli claims Formula One teams will get clearer picture of tyre performance in final test session
Pirelli has claimed that the final test session at Barcelona, which starts from 8thMarch, will give all Formula One teams a clear idea of whether to pit twice or more during the 2011 season.
All teams will run in race simulation at Barcelona, as it will be their final chance to assess the performance of their cars, but most of them have been concerned about the tyre wear of Pirelli more than anything. However, Pirelli boss Paul Hembery stated
that teams shouldn’t be concerned about the degradation of Pirelli rubber, as the weather has not been ideal for the tyres during the testing sessions.
Hembery claimed that if the weather gets warmer for the final test, the tyres will be much more consistent compared to what teams have witnessed until now. Red Bull driver Mark Webber wasn’t too concerned about the tyres unlike some other top drivers. He
claimed that the performance of the tyres could only be judged once the season kicks-off.
Webber further added, “This has happened in the past. Last year at Jerez we were completely s**tting ourselves with the Bridgestones doing long runs, thinking 'oh my God, we're going to be stopping every...' you know, and then we get to the first races and
drive around all day [on one set].”
On the other hand, Webber’s team-mate and current Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel said that he wasn’t too concerned about the number of pit stops during the races. He claimed that three or maybe four stops for a tyre change would make the race interesting.
Red Bull may not be concerned about the tyre wear of Pirelli, but their main rivals Ferrari and Mclaren have expressed their fears. The Spaniard Fernando Alonso predicted that the increased number of pit stops would make things uncertain for the top teams.
Mclaren’s Lewis Hamilton was also not pleased with the performance of Pirelli, and the British driver stated that the pace of his car on the Italian rubber has been like running on an out lap, rather than actually racing.
Formula One teams will have one more chance to gather as much data as possible at Barcelona to perform better in the season opener, which starts in Australia on 27th March.
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