Important test for Pirelli

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Date: 19th February 2014 at 9:50am
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The second winter testing session has gotten under way in the desert of Bahrain.

It’s a crucial four days for all the teams, with Lotus making their first proper running after missing the first winter test in Jerez.

Mercedes and Ferrari will be aiming to build on a solid start, alongside McLaren and Williams who also enjoyed good running thanks to Mercedes power.

But the Renault engined teams will be hoping for much more running after a poor start to the testing campaign in Spain.

Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli are also hoping that all the teams get to grips with their new cars during the upcoming four days, so that they too can collect data ahead of the new 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship starting next month.

‘The first test of the year in Jerez was all about the teams getting their first taste of a very different set of technical regulations, so as expected running was limited and evaluating tyres was not a priority,’ Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery told Sky Sports.

‘On top of that, winter conditions in Europe – even in southern Spain – are not representative of the race conditions we will generally encounter throughout the rest of the season. In Bahrain, we’re expecting better weather and more running, which will allow ourselves and the teams to assimilate more data and knowledge of the tyres.’

Pirelli also confirmed that they were hopeful of collecting data regarding the use of tyres without tyre blankets.

Tyre blankets have been used so that teams can heat the tyres up ahead of a drivers pit-stop, to enable drivers to have a quicker out lap without the need of generating heat through the tyres themselves.

But from 2015 onwards, the use of the blankets will not be allowed.

The tyre manufacturer confirmed: ‘Pirelli are also bringing an extra set of medium tyres per team to Bahrain, with 2014 construction and compound, However, these are actually considered to be ‘prototypes’ as their purpose is to test tyre behaviour without warming blankets, which will be banned from 2015 onwards.’