Tag: tyre testing

Pirelli signs new 3 yr F1 tyre supplying contract

Pirelli will remain the official Formula One tyre supplier until 2016 after signing a new 3 year contract with the FIA.

Pirelli’s future in the sport had been in doubt following a number of incidents during the 2013 season and the expiry of their contract at the end of 2013.

However, Pirelli have managed to secure their future in the sport along with some of the rule changes around testing which they had requested.

These changes which are mandatory from 2014 onward, were outlined in a statement released by the FIA. The statement reads as follows:

“Following a decision by the World Motor Sport Council confirming Pirelli’s status as the single supplier of tyres to the FIA Formula One World Championship, Pirelli and the FIA have renewed their Formula One tyre supply contract. The duration of the agreement is for three years, starting from the 2014 season.

The world motorsport’s governing body and Pirelli, in collaboration with the teams, have been working together to improve levels of safety and performance in Formula One, resulting in important changes to the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations regarding the testing of tyres, which will enable the Italian company to continue its Formula One single supply arrangements in the best interests of the sport.

These new rules, mandatory from the 2014 season onwards, can be summarised as follows:

1) One of the 12 days of official pre-season testing, as prescribed in the 2014 sporting regulations, will be dedicated exclusively to wet tyre testing.

2) Each team will dedicate one of their eight days of in-season testing, as prescribed in the 2014 sporting regulations, exclusively to tyre testing. This means that during each of the eight days of in-season testing, at least one team – and up to a maximum of two – will be concentrating on tyre testing along with Pirelli’s engineers.

Pirelli will continue to determine the specification of the tyres and to manage all aspects of their development, in close consultation with the FIA and the teams, and within the parameters set out in the FIA Formula One Sporting & Technical Regulations.

In addition, Pirelli and the FIA have agreed to discuss a possible partnership on the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign.”

January 17, 2014
Full driver line-up for Bahrain tyre test confirmed

The full driver line-up for this week’s Pirelli tyre test in Bahrain has been confirmed.

The three day tyre test is set to get underway on Tuesday and end on Thursday and will see teams testing using their 2013 cars. All 11 teams were invited to the tyre test but only six agreed to participate. McLaren and Force India however later decided to withdraw. Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and Toro Rosso will be on track to put Pirelli’s 2014 tyres through their paces. The running plans however, will be dictated by Pirelli as they gather data for next season.

World champions Red Bull, will be making use of test driver Sebastien Buemi while Toro Rosso will give Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniil Kvyat one and a half days of running each.

Ferrari confirmed that they will be using their development driver Pedro De la Rosa for two days and that Marussia driver Jules Bianchi will take part in one day of the tyre test.

Mercedes were last to confirm their driver line-up and will be using only Nico Rosberg for the tyre test.

December 17, 2013
Pirelli confirm four teams for Bahrain tyre test

Pirelli have confirmed that four teams will take part in the Bahrain tyre test next week.

Following confirmation that both McLaren and Force India have withdrawn from the test because of the short timeframe between the test and the FIA’s confirmation that it may go ahead.

The FIA gave the tyre test the go ahead on Monday night, when they also announced major rule changes for 2014 and 2015.

A McLaren spokesperson said simply, “We are not testing in Bahrain next week.”

A Force India spokesperson added, “Given the short notice of this test taking place and the time frames involved, the team will not be attending the test.”

The teams who will now take place in the Bahrain tyre test for Pirelli are Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, Ferrari and Toro Rosso.

The test will run from 17-19 December.

December 12, 2013
Pirelli to test 2014 tyres in December

Pirelli will be testing its 2014 tyres later this month and the three top teams will be providing their 2013 cars for the tests.

There had been some objections from certain teams when rumours surfaced that McLaren had McLaren had put its hand up to run its 2013 car for Pirelli at a December test in Bahrain. “It would be unfortunate,” Mercedes’ Ross Brawn said recently, “if one team had the benefit of running a (2014) tyre to the exclusion of all the others.”

Now, Italy’s Autosprint and La Gazzetta dello Sport are both reporting that the 2013-car test in Bahrain which will be held between 17 and 19 December, will be attended by three teams. However, it seems that McLaren will not be among these three teams.

The three teams who finished in first, second and third places in the 2013 Constructors’ championship have apparently been chosen – Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari.

Autosprint reported that Lotus, who finished fourth overall in 2013, was also invited, but declined for financial reasons. McLaren finished fifth, but were not invited.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that all tyre data collected during the Bahrain Pirelli test would be made available to all of the other teams, who according to regulations are also allowed to send observers to Bahrain.

Alberto Antonini, Autosprint correspondent has also reported that the teams who were not invited are not happy at all since they’ve been effectively locked out of the Pirelli test which would hand a very early advantage to the 2013 frontrunners.

December 3, 2013
Red Bull exploring Pirelli tyre test options

Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner, has said that the team is exploring the option of carrying out a Pirelli tyre test.

This follows the International Tribunal’s ruling on the Mercedes tyre test where it has been made clear that running a 2013 car is perfectly legal as long as plans are communicated to and approved by the FIA.

None of the teams have agreed to run a current car but Red Bull seems open to completing a test running a 2011 car, similar to the test carried out by Ferrari for Pirelli in Barcelona earlier this year.

Horner told Sporting Life, “We will see, it is something we have to discuss with Pirelli”.

When asked about what the importance would be to Pirelli, Horner replied: “That is for them to judge, what they need and what they require from testing. Whatever happens it has to be done transparently. We don’t want people sneaking off behind closed doors – and wearing nondescript helmets.”

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery says that Pirelli will continue to push to use current (2013) cars. He told ESPN, “We’re asking for [a 2013 car]. We’ve got a couple of teams maybe interested in running a 2011 car and doing 1000km, which is good, but I think the big thing is we’d like to get the 2013 car run.”

July 13, 2013
FIA sets June date for Mercedes-Pirelli test International Tribunal hearing

The FIA’s International Tribunal will meet in Paris on June 20 to hear the case against Mercedes and Pirelli concerning their recent tyre test in Barcelona. This follows the protests lodged by Red Bull Racing and Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix.

They are to consider whether the 3-day f1 tyre test conducted last month using a 2013 car, broke Formula One regulations, which prohibit the use of current cars for in-season testing.

The FIA has said a decision will be announced as soon as possible after the hearing. Should Mercedes and/or Pirelli be found guilty of charges, the International Tribunal has the power to impose a wide range of sanctions.

Here is the FIA statement in full:

The following hearing of the International Tribunal will take place in Paris:

Hearing

Disciplinary procedure against Mercedes and Pirelli (2013 FIA Formula One World Championship)

On 5 June 2013, further to protests lodged during the 2013 Monaco GP by Red Bull Racing and Ferrari Scuderia Team against cars n°9 and 10 (Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team) for having conducted with Pirelli a three day tyre testing using a 2013 car on 15, 16 and 17 May in Barcelona, the President of the FIA, acting as the FIA Prosecuting Body, sent to the President of the International Tribunal a notification of charges against Pirelli and a notification of charges against Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team.

On 5 June 2013, Pirelli and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team have been convened by the President of the International Tribunal to appear before a judging panel of the International Tribunal.

When

09.30 hrs

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Where

FIA Salle du Comité,

8, place de la Concorde,

75008 Paris

Decision

The decision of the International Tribunal will be published as soon as possible after the hearing.

June 11, 2013
Christian Horner says Red Bull said no to Pirelli F1 tyre tests for fear of breaking rules

Christian Horner revealed during a Team Principals press conference that Red Bull were approached to take part in the Pirelli tyre tests in Barcelona but the team refused, fearing that it would breach Formula One FIA regulations.

This will a key aspect when the Pirelli testgate saga goes to the FIA International Tribunal as the FIA has already said that Pirelli should have invited all other teams to carry out tyre test with Pirelli.

Lotus and Force India both confirmed that they had not been approached by Pirelli, but Horner’s revelation adds new perspective to the ong-going saga.

“We believe it is the responsibility of the entrant to comply with the regulations, so when it came to light that a test with the current car had taken place, our interpretation of the rules was that that was in clear breach of them. Therefore we raised a protest prior to the race for it to be dealt with by the FIA,” said Horner during a very tense press conference of the Team Principals following Friday’s second practice session in Canada.

“It is really an issue between the team and the FIA and obviously Pirelli have asked several teams to test – ourselves included – but we have declined to do so as we felt it wasn’t in line with the regulations, certainly with the current car. So that is the situation, it has gone to the tribunal and we trust the FIA to make the appropriate decision regarding it.”

“The important thing is that there needs to be absolute clarity in what you can do and what you can’t do, what I testing and what isn’t testing and I think that that is more crucial than anything to be fully resolved.”

Mercedes continue to insist that they did not learn anything from the test and merely assisted Pirelli. Horner however, is steadfast in his few that the extra mileage the Mercedes F1 team got out of the testing will have been of great benefit to the team.

“I think that whenever you have limited testing with the rules written as they are, then when you run a current car with the amount of technology and the amount of data analysis there is then you are always learning – whether it is reliability, whether it be endurance, whether it be performance,” he said.

“So of course even if you are testing a component for another supplier you are learning. Formula 1 has moved an awfully long way over the last few years to ensure fairness and equality to all of the entrants and I think if a team does carry out an extra 1000km with a current car then you are going to learn something.”

Horner was also unimpressed with the fact that the F1 tyre test was carried out in secret saying, “I think the lack of transparency has been disappointing. If a supplier has issues then they obviously have to deal with them, but if all entrants are supposedly equal, I think it is important that that information is made perfectly clear.”

Mercedes will face the FIA International Tribunal later this month with Ross Brawn seeming very confident and sure that the team are in the clear.

June 8, 2013
F1 Video: FIA Team Principals Press Conference after FP2 Canada

Comments from Ross Brawn and Christian Horner regarding the “secret” Pirelli tyre testing at the Team Principals Press Conference after Free Practice to in Canada. Brawn refused to go into any detail but seemed very confident that once all the facts are revealed at the Tribunal, Mercedes would be cleared of any wrong doing.

June 8, 2013
Ross Brawn puts his head on the chopping block in Pirelligate

A very interesting team principal press conference followed the second practice session ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix today.

Most notably, Ross Brawn revealed that it was him who made the decision to go ahead with the controversial Pirelli tyre testing in Barcelona following the Spanish Grand Prix.

Playing it very cool, calm and collected, Ross stated, “”It was my decision to do the testing, that is a fact, and let’s see what happens at tribunal and we go from there.”

The Brackley-based Mercedes F1 team is to face an FIA disciplinary hearing at the International Tribunal later this month to answer charges that it may have broken Formula 1 regulations by using its W04 2013 car during the Pirelli test.

Brawn was also quick to state that there was nothing “secret” about the test but that it was merely a “private” test.

Ross seemed very confident, almost as though he has an Ace or two up his sleeve. He was not willing to divulge why the team is so certain that it is in the clear after testing their 2013 car with Pirelli, but he said that he is eager for the facts of the case to come out so that Mercedes can clear its name.

“I wouldn’t say it is very pleasant at the moment but again I am comfortable and confident that once when we get to the tribunal the facts will become apparent and people can make a better judgement.”

“I think we would not have done the Pirelli test unless we believed we could do the Pirelli test. When we get to the tribunal you will have your answers,” he said.

Pirelli boss Paul Hembery, meanwhile, was absent from the press conference following advice from Pirelli lawyers not to attend.

June 7, 2013
FIA calls Mercedes to Tribunal and dismisses case against Ferrari
The FIA has called Mercedes to appear before its International Tribunal to answer questions concerning the controversial F1 tyre test for Pirelli.

In a statement released by the sport’s governing body they said, “In the light of all the replies received and in view of the information gathered during this inquiry, the President of the FIA, acting as the FIA prosecuting body, has decided to bring the case concerning the tyre testing session carried out by Pirelli and Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 in Barcelona on 15-17 May 2013 before the FIA International Tribunal because it results from the inquiry that the conditions of this testing may constitute a breach of the applicable FIA rules.”

“The FIA International Tribunal is called upon to make a decision in compliance with the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules.”

In the same statement, the FIA also confirmed it will close its case against Ferrari who had conducted an F1 tyre test for Pirelli in April, using the 150 Italia which was last used in Formula One in 2011. “Its participation in a tyre testing organised by Pirelli in Barcelona on 23-24 April 2013 using for this purpose a 2011 car is not deemed to contravene the applicable FIA rules.”

Here is the full statement as published by the FIA on Wednesday 5 June 2013:

The Monaco Grand Prix Stewards raised in their report to the FIA an issue concerning a tyre testing session carried out by Pirelli with the participation of Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 in Barcelona on 15-17 May 2013[1].

The FIA requested clarifications from Pirelli and Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 in this respect.

The FIA also asked questions to Scuderia Ferrari Team, which took part in a tyre testing with Pirelli in Barcelona on 23-24 April 2013.

The FIA requested all the other F1 Teams to provide the FIA with information they may have regarding any tests carried out by Pirelli during the 2013 season.

In the light of all the replies received and in view of the information gathered during this inquiry, the President of the FIA, acting as the FIA prosecuting body, has decided:
- To close the case as regard to Scuderia Ferrari Team considering that its participation in a tyre testing organized by Pirelli in Barcelona on 23-24 April 2013 using for this purpose a 2011 car is not deemed to contravene the applicable FIA rules.
- To bring the case concerning the tyre testing session carried out by Pirelli and Team Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 in Barcelona on 15-17 May 2013 before the FIA International Tribunal because it results from the inquiry that the conditions of this testing may constitute a breach of the applicable FIA rules.
The FIA International Tribunal is called upon to make a decision in compliance with the FIA Judicial and Disciplinary Rules.

[1] The Stewards’ report follows the protests made by Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Ferrari Team on the occasion of the Monaco Grand Prix against Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 concerning its participation in the Barcelona tests (15-17 May 2013).
June 5, 2013