Pirelli has rounded out its latest 18-inch tyre test following a two-day event in Barcelona with the assistance of three Formula 1 teams.
Red Bull and Alfa Romeo completed running on Tuesday, before they were joined on the track by Alpine on Wednesday.
Alexander Albon and Robert Kubica drove for their respective teams both days, while Daniil Kvyat made his on-track debut for Alpine as part of his new role as reserve driver on day two of the test.
F1 will introduce the new 18-inch tyres in 2022, along with a fresh set of technical regulations aimed at increasing competition at the front of the field as well as allowing for closer racing.
Speaking about his outing in the Alpine, Kvyat said: “I felt very comfortable in the car straight away, almost like I didn’t have a break, so we were straight away able to push on with the programme. We finished everything quite early.
“It was really enjoyable to be back in an F1 car, very emotional and very cool and to drive this beast again. Can’t wait to be back at the wheel again.”
Kubica said of his two days in the Alfa Romeo: “Quite busy two days, I would also say quite happy, always interesting to discover new features.
“The tyres are very important in this case, in motorsport, in F1, so [it was the] first step for our team with 18-inch wheels. A lot of miles, a lot of laps, a lot of data, so for sure our tyre department will have a lot of things to analyse, to watch [the] data to come up with some conclusions.
“It has been productive, I’d also say it was a tough two days. I haven’t been in the car in six months, apart from last Friday. To do two full days at a fitness demanding track like Barcelona, it has been nice to see that even though I’m getting old, I’m still able to do it.”
Pirelli’s next 18-inch tyre test will take place at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France later this month with Mercedes in attendance.
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