Pirelli Tests F1 Rain Tires at Abu Dhabi

[E90SLAM]

In its final preparations ahead of the first group test in February, Pirelli is completing an extensive test of its wet weather tyres in Abu Dhabi over the next two nights.

Pedro de la Rosa will complete six hours of testing each night, using both the intermediate and full wet tyres on a circuit soaked with water. It is the first dedicated test for the wet weather Pirelli compounds and the first ever overnight Formula One test.

The Italian tyre firm opted to test in Abu Dhabi due to the warmer track temperatures, which should be closer to the wet conditions it experiences during races this season.

"This is a unique opportunity to witness a Formula One test car on track at night in the wet and on hot tarmac, in an entirely floodlit setting," Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery explained. "We decided to do it this way because we want to challenge our rain tyres with the most difficult and demanding of all situations. And who knows, perhaps it could be a good idea for a future grand prix?"

"These tests will provide us with useful information to finalise our tyre development process for Formula One. It is seven months since we started developing our tyres and five since we started with the actual testing. We are very satisfied with the results so far and we have also collected very positive feedback from the teams.

Pirelli has now covered more than 13,000 kilometres on its new tyre compounds and is happy with the results so far. At the start of February the 12 F1 teams will sample the new tyres at Valencia, ahead of a month-and-a-half's heavy testing before the season opener in Bahrain on March 13.

"Soon it will be time to get started in Spain where the first official test of the season will take place," added Hembery. "We will use this opportunity to gather more feedback from teams and drivers and be ready for the Bahrain Grand Prix in March."

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/38355.html

[scott@bmwhn]

lol the U.A.E isnt the first place that comes to mind when i think "Rain Testing"...my ignorance shows through.

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by scott@bmwhn

lol the U.A.E isnt the first place that comes to mind when i think "Rain Testing"...my ignorance shows through.

True that, they had to wet the entire track before the start of testing.

However, majority of location in Asia and Europe (where races will be held) are too cold to get proper data analysis of wet tires in summer.

They picked UAE because Yas Marina track is always available for more testing and exposure; and also because Pirelli would want somewhere nice and warm to get more valid data.

[escobar929]

very nice, getting closer and closer

[IE#02]

who built/gave Pirelli their own F1 cars?

[HondaGoneRogue]

Originally Posted by scott@bmwhn

lol the U.A.E isnt the first place that comes to mind when i think "Rain Testing"...my ignorance shows through.

Even though it's humidity is probably as bad as rain sometimes.

[Echo M3]

Originally Posted by HondaGoneRogue

Even though it's humidity is probably as bad as rain sometimes.

It's a desert, so it's humidity is usually ~ 0

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by IE#02

who built/gave Pirelli their own F1 cars?

As I read from planetf1 forum, it was Toyota's 2009 chassis TF109...
http://forum.planet-f1.com/index.php...88582&start=0&

[E90SLAM]

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/01/1...-in-abu-dhabi/

[HondaGoneRogue]

Originally Posted by pman10

It's a desert, so it's humidity is usually ~ 0

Apparently, you've never been there.

http://www.godubai.com/explore/whatshot.asp

And for the area in this post:

http://www.meteoprog.it/en/weather/AbuDhabi/

[E90SLAM]

Pirelli is confident they will be able to offer teams a strong package during official testing next month following their latest private test in Abu Dhabi.

The Italian tyre manufacturer completed two nights of wet testing at the Yas Marina Circuit earlier this week with Pedro de la Rosa behind the wheel on both evenings.

"It's been an extremely positive test session here in Abu Dhabi, thanks to the fantastic facilities we've had available to us and the usual hard work from Pedro and the rest of our team," Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery said.

"We're very proud to have been part of creating a little bit of history by running a Formula One car at night for the first time on wet tyres: we very much believe that Pirelli will be able to contribute to the spectacle of Formula One in the future and seeing the car kicking up huge plumes of spray under the floodlights has certainly been an amazing sight that we will all remember for a long time.

"While we are well aware that we are new to Formula One and still have plenty to learn, I'm confident that we can approach the start of this year's official testing next month with a strong package."

De la Rosa believes Pirelli's compounds are both competitive and stable.

"In my opinion, Pirelli is ready now for Formula One," he said. "The dry tyre test went very well, and confirmed everything we had learned in Bahrain the week before. But the most original part of the test was when we were running at night on the wet tyres, which was as new an experience for me as it was for everyone else.

"The most important thing was that the water levels were consistent, which allowed us to have some accurate results from the test. At the end of it, we've come up with two tyres - wet and intermediate - which I believe are both competitive and stable."

http://planet-f1.com/news/18227/6673...-wet-tyre-test

[pixelblue]

Originally Posted by pman10

It's a desert, so it's humidity is usually ~ 0

its right on the persian gulf. the humidity can be stifling in summer. trust me i've been there. some trees have evolved with secondary roots over the ground to get water. not sure how they are planning to hold world cup soccer nearby in qatar in the middle of summer. hope they are planning to build indoor arenas otherwise there will be whole bunch of people and players literally cooked under 120+ temps in summer

[E90SLAM]

Seems like Pirelli has deliberately engineered tires that's more prone to degradation.
Thus more pit stops and "fabricate" more exciting race...

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/38460.html

[escobar929]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

Seems like Pirelli has deliberately engineered tires that's more prone to degradation.
Thus more pit stops and "fabricate" more exciting race...

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/38460.html

i remember towards the end of last season they were talks about this, still not sure how i feel about it but we'll see once the season kicks off

[Echo M3]

Originally Posted by HondaGoneRogue

Apparently, you've never been there.

http://www.godubai.com/explore/whatshot.asp

And for the area in this post:

http://www.meteoprog.it/en/weather/AbuDhabi/

Never in the summer. I've only visited in the winter, and never experienced humidity. Didn't know this

[HondaGoneRogue]

Its a bitch. Texas times ten.

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by escobar929

i remember towards the end of last season they were talks about this, still not sure how i feel about it but we'll see once the season kicks off

I like exciting racing like Canadian GP...but deliberately engineer tires to last shorter...makes me kind of iffy about it. but we'll see...it'll favor to those who baby their tires better....

[Echo M3]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

I like exciting racing like Canadian GP...but deliberately engineer tires to last shorter...makes me kind of iffy about it. but we'll see...it'll favor to those who baby their tires better....

Yeah, I'm a bit uneasy about this. I don't like the idea that it will reward the smoother drivers much more than than the aggressive drivers - last season seemed to have the right balance. I'm also worried that with the extra pit stops, we'll see more overtaking in the pits instead of on track ( = boring).

I am all for 'lottery' races like the Canadian GP, though . IMO, they should just soak the Abu Dhabi track right before the start of each race. Although that would probably piss off the environmentalists

[E90SLAM]

Pirelli have altered their front tyres, making them stronger, in response to feedback from the teams .

The teams had their first taste of the Pirelli tyres in November last year, putting the Italian rubber through its paces in Abu Dhabi.

And although most drivers declared themselves happy with the new tyres, Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery has revealed that there were a few requests for changes.

"We were asked to provide a slightly stronger front tyre, which is what we've done," Hembery told Autosport.

"In the process we maybe threw the rear out of balance, which is something that was noted during the test, but we've also improved that during the remaining tests that we've done.

"We were asked to try to beef up the front tyre, to give it more a precise input when the drivers turn into the corner, to give more feel.

"We believe we've done that, and we've now finished the work on the rear so we'll see how we get on with a car designed around our tyres."

Hembrey also confirmed that Pirelli would hold a number of tests throughout the 2011 season.

"At the moment we know we're going to be in Istanbul in April, then Barcelona in May. We'll definitely be back in the Middle East again in Bahrain and Abu Dhabi at the end of the season.

"We couldn't get Silverstone, we're trying to go to Monza and probably Spa as well. So we are trying to carry on a parallel development programme. That's obviously looking more for 2012.

"We've got some ideas that, given more time we would have taken forward, but those now are rested and being put towards that programme."

http://planet-f1.com/news/18227/6679...up-front-tyres

[escobar929]

Originally Posted by E90SLAM

I like exciting racing like Canadian GP...but deliberately engineer tires to last shorter...makes me kind of iffy about it. but we'll see...it'll favor to those who baby their tires better....

yea, im sure Jensen Button opened a bottle of champagne when he saw this, he is by far the best a driving fast and maintaining tires

[E90SLAM]

This is interesting....I can see SPEEDTV will reminding us every race and every 10 mins about various colors on the tire walls and what they represent...

Pirelli will use a colourful method to visibly differentiate its tyre compounds at grands prix this year.

A few years ago, the FIA said sole supplier Bridgestone must differentiate the appearance of the 'hard' and 'soft' options at races.

With the grooved tyres, the Japanese marque painted a line in a middle groove of the soft options, and when slicks returned in 2009 the soft Bridgestones featured a green circle on the sidewall.

According to Italian sources, F1's new sole supplier Pirelli has come up with a different approach to conform with the same rule in 2011.

A report in the Finnish newspaper Turun Sanomat claims that each compound with have the words 'Pirelli P Zero' painted in different colours on the sidewall.

The super-soft wording will reportedly be in red, the soft will be in white, the medium in blue and the hard in yellow.

Meanwhile, the sidewall colourings of the full wet tyre will be yellow, and the intermediates red.

After four floodlit nights in Abu Dhabi that concluded this week, Pirelli said it is now ready for the forthcoming group tests and the season.

But the marque's research and development boss Maurizio Boiocci admitted that one unknown factor is how the tyres will be affected by the additional speed delivered by KERS and adjustable rear wings.

"If the speed came on gradually, for sure there would be no problems," he said. "But it remains to be seen what happens when all the power comes on suddenly."

Pirelli test driver Pedro de la Rosa told Spain's Marca newspaper that he thinks Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton will adapt best to the new tyres in 2011.

"Changes like this always benefit the best ones, and the best ones are Hamilton and Alonso," he said.

"But I don't think the changing of tyres brands will be a big problem for anyone."

Meanwhile, it has emerged that - so that no drivers or teams are favoured - the FIA will distribute Pirelli's tyres to the teams after randomly shuffling the code numbers at grands prix.

http://www.motorsport.com/news/artic...D=398097&FS=F1

[TK-421]

Matte black F1 car = WIN