Pirelli doubt they will test new tyres during race weekends again

Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola has said that testing a new Formula 1 tyre during a race weekend throughout 2020 is “probably the wrong way” to go about it after trying at the 2019 US Grand Prix brought a load of negativity.

In Austin last year Pirelli supplied all 10 teams with tyres they had made for the 2020 F1 season to test but they received poor feedback on the different compound.
 
The tyres, designed to have reduced degradation from a different type of rubber, were better received at the test after Abu Dhabi but teams ultimately elected to continue through 2020 with 2019’s tyres.
 
Isola feels same compound tyres can still be tested at races but a new prototype should not.
 
"That is probably feasible during the free practice, because with the same construction, you are going to test something that is not affecting the balance of the car and other parameters on the car in a heavy way,”  he said to Motorsport.com.

"The comparison of a new compound during free practice is possible.

"If we have to test a completely new tyre it's probably the wrong way to do that."

Isola explained that a variety of factors from teams setting up their cars, different conditions and time is why trying to perform a test at a weekend would be a struggle.

"We supplied the prototypes to everybody, so it was a good opportunity [at Austin] to see how the prototype worked," he added.

"The real, not mistake, but the important element of that test, [which] is why I believe that for the future it is not good to plan any test of validation during the race weekend, is that it is impossible for a team in three hours of free practice in total [excluding the FP3 session ahead of qualifying].

"When they are focused on their race weekends, they have to set up the cars for the race weekend, sometimes they have to test new parts.

"There is track evolution in every race. If we also had [to do] a comparison of a new tyre compared to the baseline, it is too much for three hours testing.

"So, it is a fact that they have to find a compromise to fit the additional tyre tests in a schedule that is already full of other stuff to do.

"And that means that in that condition it's very unlikely that they can make a proper tyre test.

"That's why we prefer to say 'focus on tyre development tests where we have a whole day available'.

"The car is there, they can set up the car, we can make proper comparisons - long runs, short runs, different conditions, cambers calm, pressures calm, other stuff. We can have a proper evaluation."