DECEMBER 28, 2010

Pirelli completes final test this year

Pirelli completed the final test of the year, a five-day session in Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit. The Italian manufacturer, who will be the tyre supplier to Formula 1 starting next season, was refining the compound and construction of their tyres.

Pirelli completed the final test of the year, a five-day session in Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit. The Italian manufacturer, who will be the tyre supplier to Formula 1 starting next season, was refining the compound and construction of their tyres.

Over the course of the test, which was briefly interrupted by sandstorms, drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Romain Grosjean completed nearly 3,000 kilometers. Pirelli has now completed more than 10,000 kilometers of testing (not including the official two day test in Abu Dhabi last month).

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery said, "I think this goes to show that, wherever you are in the world, uncertain weather can arrive in a variety of forms. But Formula 1 is all about expecting the unexpected, and we were able to quickly react to these changing circumstances by extending our test."

"With the extra time we had, we were probably able to put in a little bit more work than we had originally planned, so everything worked out very well in the end. We ran through our entire dry tyre range, and to have reached the point where we are at now, just five months after the F1 tyres ran for the very first time at Mugello in August, is an incredible testimony to the commitment and capability shown by every member of our team."

"We ran two drivers in order to compare two different sets of feedback, and the fact that they were both saying the same positive things at the end of the test only underlines the progress that we have made. There's still some work to do, but we can head into 2011 with confidence."

Pirelli will continue tyre testing in Bahrain on January 9-10, and in Abu Dhabi on January 15-18.