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If Pirelli are to continue being F1's tyre supplier then they would like to have 18 days worth of testing in place for next year in order to be prepared for the widespread rule change in 2017. Otherwise they have directly threatened to leave the sport in 2017 for when their contract expires. Paul Hembery feels that they would not be able to produce the perfect tyre that F1 will need if it isn't to have in-season testing.
"For us [testing] is a condition. You can't carry on with the scenario where we can't actually do our work," added Hembery.
"We've not been given adequate support to allow us to perform all of the development we would like to have done, and we have been asking consistently
"Without a good testing programme we can't stay in the sport for 2017."
The cars in 2017 are set to be more aerodynamic, which will mean tyres will have to endure more thermal degradation/wear. And the tyres themselves will be much bigger in width - a 25% increase from the current size which they use today.
Not only is the 18 days of testing meant for just Pirelli, it is something which would be useful for the drivers to gain an understanding and to to be able to allow them to have some kind of input - as opposed to using the media. Recently several key drivers such as four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel has questioned the quality of the Pirelli compound. Hembery believes that having the current drivers test the new compounds would therefore appease everyone's anxieties
"The one thing that needs to happen is a proper testing programme, and the first-level drivers need to be involved in determining the product we are going to be taking into a season,"
"We need their input because they are the ones who push to the limit, who go that little bit extra, more than the other drivers.
"But at the moment we have no testing, they're not involved, so as you can imagine there is a discrepancy there, and that's not normal in my opinion.
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (2)
Login to replycalle.itw
Posts: 8,527
If costs could be held down to a minimum that wouldnt harm smaller teams, then by all means testing should return.
khasmir
Posts: 893
It's a thin line, I support more testing but costs need to be kept under control.