Pirelli formula one tyre testing gets underway tomorrow. The 2011 season kicks off at the Abu Dhabi circuit, with Pirelli supplying tyres in a three-year agreement from 2011-2013

On Friday and Saturday, the 12 teams will try out next year’s Pirelli tyres for the first time Slick tyres in medium and soft compounds will be used, distinguished by a coloured stripe on the sidewall. Each team will have eight sets of tyres available to them for the two days of testing The test in the United Arab Emirates marks Pirelli’s return to F1 after a 19-year absence. The Italian tyre company has brought 384 tyres and 30 people to Abu Dhabi for its debut Pirelli’s Formula One team has now concluded the first phase of testing, following eight private tests and 7000 kilometres on challenging circuits all over Europe Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport director: “We come to these tests with plenty of confidence and satisfaction with our work carried out so far. The tests in Europe have given us all the data we needed at this current phase of development. Tomorrow, the second phase gets underway…” Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), 18 November 2010 - The 5.5 kilometres of the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi will play host to Pirelli’s debut as Formula One’s official tyre supplier tomorrow, as the Italian company returns to the pinnacle of motorsport following a 19-year absence. The 12 teams, which have just concluded the 2010 Formula One World Championship at the Yas Marina circuit, will test Pirelli’s tyres for the first time – giving the green light to the new season and the three-year tyre supply deal with the legendary Italian firm. Two days of testing will take place tomorrow and Saturday from 0900-1700. Sunshine, light wind and ambient temperatures around 34 degrees, which translate to a track temperature of about 48 degrees, will be the order of the day throughout this weekend’s action. The first taste of the new tyres that all the teams will have comes after a programme of eight private tests that Pirelli has carried out, starting from the 19 August when the tyres took to the track for the first time. Since then, the Toyota TF109 chosen as a development car has racked up around 7000 kilometres with Nick Heidfeld, Romain Grosjean and Pedro De La Rosa at the wheel, in all sorts of weather conditions on a variety of European circuits. Pirelli’s engineers, led by motorsport director Paul Hembery, have been to Mugello, Monza, Barcelona, Valencia, Jerez and Le Castellet to try out all the different types of tyre that will be supplied to the teams next year according to FIA regulations: four slick tyres (ranging from super-soft to hard) one intermediate tyre, and one rain tyre. “We come to these tests with plenty of confidence and satisfaction with our work carried out so far,” said Hembery. “The tests in Europe have given us all the data we needed at this current phase of development. From tomorrow, the drivers and engineers from every team will give us their opinions and feedback, which are of vital importance for the second phase of testing: a challenge that we are already well-prepared for.” The Abu Dhabi tests are conducted by the teams, who have determined the programme and parameters that they would like to cover during the next two days. Both the medium compound slick and the soft compound slick will be used, distinguishable by a coloured stripe on the sidewall. Each team will run just one car. Every team will have eight sets of tyres available, four for day one and four for day two, which adds up to a total supply of 384 Pirelli tyres. During the test, the teams will be fully supported by Pirelli’s engineers and technicians. In particular, each team will have an assigned engineer throughout the test as well as being able to rely on the back-up of the entire group, which numbers 30 people in Abu Dhabi. Today, Pirelli’s engineers and technicians will meet all the teams for a general briefing, during which details of the forthcoming test programme will be discussed. At the end of each day of testing, there will also be an additional debrief between all the teams and Pirelli in order to compare information. After Abu Dhabi, Pirelli will move on to Bahrain in early December for more private testing, in preparation for the first official tests with all the teams next year, which get underway in January. The Pirelli F1 team, composed of a variety of international personnel, is based in Milan at the Pirelli Tyre Research and Development Centre. This facility is at the heart of the Pirelli Group’s tyre technology, which employs 1000 researchers based in five centres all over the world. Motorsport is the laboratory in which Pirelli has traditionally created some of the most important innovations in the tyre sector, so it is of crucial importance. Throughout 2011, Pirelli will supply 50,000 tyres to the Formula One World Championship. The tyres for the world’s premier motorsport division will be produced at Pirelli’s Izmit factory in Turkey, one of the most modern of its kind, which is dedicated to competition tyres. Pirelli’s technicians have developed machinery and production processes that are perfectly adapted to making these cutting-edge tyres. The Formula One tyre supply agreement underlines Pirelli’s commitment to motorsport, which the Italian company has been involved in since winning the epic 1907 Paris-Peking road race. Pirelli is currently engaged in some of the most important international motorsport series in the world on two wheels and four, such as GP3, WRC, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America and the Superbike world championship. As well as these, Pirelli supports more than 70 more national and international championships. Pirelli’s last Formula One participation was the 1991 Australian Grand Prix and the last Pirelli victory was in Canada the same year, as a partner of the Benetton team. Photographs are available for media to website from: www.pirelli.com/pressarea On site contacts: Francescopaolo Tarallo +39 334 68 44 307 – francescopaolo.tarallo@pirelli.com Gloria Cagliani +39 331 18 51 703 - gloria.cagliani@pirelli.com Anthony Peacock +44 7765 896 930 - anthony@mediatica.co.uk PDF Version (56KB)