Formula 1 teams have agreed to regularly update Pirelli on how much downforce their 2017 cars will produce to ensure the tyre supplier can deliver tyres capable of holding up to the greater speed and wear demands next year.
Although Pirelli is testing its new tyres on hybrid test mules supplied by Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, it's not known whether those cars are producing the levels of downforce expected next season.
Therefore teame are obliged under the rules to share their own data with Pirelli on a regular basis, according to Red Bull chief engineer Paul Monaghan.
"We agreed within the technical regulations meeting that there would be a regular sharing of the teams’ projected 2017 performance levels with Pirelli, which we supply via the FIA," he explained.
"I think we’ve submitted two dossiers now to inform them of our projected loads. We’ve since had some more data from Pirelli, we’ve put that into the simulation. That’s gone back to them."
Monaghan is therefore confident the tyres won't throw up any surprises or pose a danger when the cars are first raced in anger.
"There’s been quite a lot of dialogue on how much load’s in the car," he added. "So I don’t think there are going to be any unpleasant surprises.
"I think we’ve got two more data exchanges to have with Pirelli, so I would have said the mechanism in place is one which protects the sport in 2017 as opposed to leaving us free reign to do whatever we want without consultation with Pirelli.
"So I’m confident we’ll be OK next year."
