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Pirelli test
drivers have covered more than 13,000 kilometres over the past five months,
running at some of the most demanding European and Middle Eastern tracks.
This has been a perfect testing ground to adjust the newly developed Formula
One tyres, featuring four dry and two rain versions. Save the date for the
up-coming Formula One official test in Valencia, starting on February 1st.
 Pirelli, the official tyre supplier to Formula One for the next three years,
will got the 2011 season underway in the United Arab Emirates with an
unprecedented test. Never before in single-seater history has a test been
organised at night and on an artificially wet track to recreate the
conditions experienced in a typical rainy grand prix.
The Abu Dhabi test would take place a few weeks before the Valencia test, the
first official group session of the 2011 season. The Yas Marina Circuit is
one of the most fascinating venues on the Formula One calendar, a perfect
setting for this extraordinary event that will call a halt to the
development phase for Pirelli’s Formula One tyres. For the first time in the
history of Formula One, the 5.55-kilometre Yas Marina track will be coated
in water to create a unique 12-hour night test.
Abu Dhabi testing wets and intermediates
This is the last round of private tests for Pirelli, with the wet and
intermediate tyres solely in use. Today’s session will start at 1800hrs and
continue until midnight, with same schedule for tomorrow. Within the range
of 2011 compounds, these rain tyres have been specifically designed for wet
or damp conditions. In line with current FIA regulations, Pirelli dry tyres
comprise four different compounds that have already been successfully
tested.
Test driver Pedro de la Rosa will be at the wheel of a Toyota TF109, chosen
by Pirelli to try out the entire new range of Formula One tyres. The TF109
was the last car to be developed by the Japanese manufacturer before it
withdrew from the championship at the end of 2009, winning five podiums over
its last season of competition. The test car will cover more than 1,000 km
in extreme driving conditions with the rubber having to deal with severe
stresses on a tricky wet and hot tarmac.
 Paul Hembery, Pirelli Formula One Team Director said: “This is a unique
opportunity to witness a Formula One test car on track at night in the wet
and on hot tarmac, in an entirely floodlit setting. We decided to do it this
way because we want to challenge our rain tyres with the most difficult and
demanding of all situations. And who knows, perhaps it could be a good idea
for a future grand prix? These tests will provide us with useful information
to finalise our tyre development process for Formula One. It is seven months
since we started developing our tyres and five since we started with the
actual testing. We are very satisfied with the results so far and we have
also collected very positive feedback from the teams. Soon it will be time
to get started in Spain where the first official test of the season will
take place. We will use this opportunity to gather more feedback from teams
and drivers and be ready for the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.”
The two-day Abu Dhabi test is the last in a series of nine private tests
that the Italian firm has carried out from August 19, when Pirelli’s test
programme got underway. Since then, Nick Heidfeld, Roman Grosjean and Pedro
de la Rosa, all at the wheel of a Toyota TF109, have covered more than
13,000 km in a variety of weather conditions at some important European and
Middle East circuits. Pirelli has used Mugello, Monza, Barcelona, Valencia,
Jerez, Le Castellet and Bahrain to test its entire range of tyres developed
for the 2011 season.
 Supersoft and soft compound tyres were the last to be finalised and were
successfully tested in Abu Dhabi last weekend, with Pedro de la Rosa driving
for around 200 laps, the equivalent of some 1,000 km.
Coming up next is the official test in Valencia from February 1-4. The 12
Formula One teams will then move to Jerez, from February 10-13, and end the
testing in Barcelona, from February 18-21. The 2011 Formula One season will
begin at the Bahrain Gran Prix on March 13.
Pirelli’s commitment to Formula One
Pirelli’s Formula One tyres have been developed as a stable and consistent
product, able to ensure closely-fought and spectacular race weekends. They
have already passed their first test with full marks, receiving excellent
feedback during last year’s official tests in Abu Dhabi in mid-November.
Fifteen drivers, including Vettel, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher and
Barrichello, tested Pirelli’s newly developed tyres, with each team covering
roughly 11,000 km, equivalent to 150 laps. Some very interesting data was
gained during testing and was then used to improve the rubber and adjust it
accordingly. Further developments were brought forward both at Pirelli’s
laboratories and on track, in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi, from January 15
onwards.
 In line with FIA regulations, Pirelli will provide Formula One teams with
four compounds of slick tyres for use on dry tracks. Compound range goes
from supersoft, soft, medium to hard, with the best solution to be raced
chosen according to the track’s features and the team’s strategy. If the
softer compound is well suited for tight and twisty circuits, the harder one
is a good option for tracks where longer durability is needed. Otherwise, it
will be the turn of the soft or of the medium compound, with the first being
faster and the second one more resistant.
In addition to dry tyres, Pirelli will supply one type of wet tyre for use
on a full wet track, along with one intermediate tyre for use in damp or
even variable and unpredictable weather conditions. Thanks to their grooved
tread pattern, these rain tyres can easily deal with rain from light to
heavy, ensuring both stability and grip.
Pirelli will supply a total of 50,000 tyres to Formula One for this season.
These competition tyres will be produced in Turkey at the ‘sport zone’ of
Pirelli’s Izmit factory, one of the most modern of its kind thanks to its
cutting-edge technology and advanced machinery.
Pirelli’s Formula One Team
In Abu Dhabi, Pirelli’s Formula One Team will be made up of 15 highly
qualified technicians. From 15 it will go up to 50 during official tests and
grands prix, with a Pirelli engineer dedicated to each team along with the
remaining staff.
The Pirelli Formula One Team will be based in Milan at the Pirelli Tyre
Research and Development Centre, a facility at the heart of the Pirelli
Group’s tyre technology capability, which employs 1000 researchers based in
five centres all over the world. Above all, it is of crucial importance to
new developments in motorsport.
In Pirelli’s on-going motorsport history, its Formula One adventure is the
latest chapter. The leading Italian company has been involved in motorsport
competitions for more than a century, with the epic Paris to Peking road
race its first win in 1907. Pirelli is currently the sole supplier to
several international championships, such as the GP2 and GP3 Series and the
World Superbike Championship. In addition, Pirelli also supports over 70
national and international championships, including the Intercontinental
Rally Challenge, having been the exclusive tyre supplier to the World Rally
Championship from 2008 to 2010.
The last time Pirelli claimed victory in Formula One was at the 1991
Canadian Grand Prix
with the Benetton team. It then bowed out at the end of that season, with
the Australian
Grand Prix its final race.
Formula One and Environmental Sustainability
In line with Pirelli Group’s Green Performance strategy – aimed at
developing products and solutions that combine maximum performance with
respect for the environment – Formula One tyre production, as well as
logistics and recycling procedures, are fully compliant with high
environmental sustainability standards. Specifically, all Pirelli
competition tyres, including PZero tyres to be used in Formula One, are free
of aromatic oils. Industrial processes at the Izmit factory are state-of-art
in terms of energy and water efficiency, with very low polluting emission
levels. Pirelli invests extensively in tyre recycling procedures. This
applies also to Formula One covers that will be used to generate new rubber
and for energy production purposes. According to Dow Jones Sustainability
STOXX and Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the Italian firm leads in
Autoparts and Tires for a fourth consecutive year. This underlines Pirelli’s
strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
Pirelli and the Arabian Peninsula
Pirelli is a market leader in the Middle East, having enjoyed over the past
years a constant growth in the premium segment, where the company holds a
preeminent position. Pirelli’s liaison office in Dubai provides local
markets with its state-of-the-art PZero tyres that are produced at the
company’s European factories. Renowned for their high performance, PZero
tyres equip luxury brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston
Martin and Bentley. Pirelli also performs a strong role in the truck market,
with tyres produced at its Alexandria factory in Egypt. Besides being an
important production centre, the Izmit factory in Turkey is also of crucial
importance as it acts as a strategic industrial and logistical hub for
Arabian markets. |
