Pirelli: ‘New tyres performed as expected’

Pirelli has hailed the first pre-season test using its new 2012 tyres a success after meeting all the targets it set itself.

Pirelli confirmed earlier this year that they were aiming to reduce the amount of marbles produced on longer runs, as well as closing the performance gap between different compounds.

Paul Hembery, the companies motorsport director, believes the new rubber has done exactly that.

“The tyres performed exactly in line with our expectations here in Jerez, and we’ve had a very positive reaction from the drivers and teams so far, who have reported more grip at the rear, fewer marbles and a reduced lap time difference between the compounds as well as faster overall performance – which is precisely what we wanted,” confirmed Hembery.

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The data confirmed a smaller performance gap between the medium and hard compound, down from about a second in 2011, to between 0.4-0.5 seconds, whilst producing increased grip – which Pirelli expect will add a new dimension to race strategies.

However, given the temperatures and the fact drivers aren’t giving it their all, Pirelli aren’t getting complacent with the positive results.

“We’re happy with the level of degradation and we had no issues, as was the case for all of last year,” he added. “But as the temperatures in Jerez were very low and the teams have also concentrated on other areas than tyres, it’s too early to draw any detailed conclusions.

“We’ll see more tyre development work at the next test in Barcelona, as together with the teams, we fully understand the implications of the latest rules. However, with all three of our available slick tyres having set a fastest time, it’s a clear sign that we are on course to meet our objectives.”