Yesterday at the Jerez circuit, Mercedes and Aston Martin went to the track to complete their tests with Pirelli. The objective is to present new compounds ahead of 2025 – to limit tyre overheating during intense battles. It is no coincidence that circuits were chosen with relatively high temperatures, considering the winter period. In Jerez, the air temperature exceeded 20 degrees Celsius, with the asphalt temperature exceeding 30.
Ferrari was the first team to kick off this technical program (it will involve all teams throughout the season) with F1’s Global Tire Partner last week. Both the F1-75 and the SF-23 were made available at the Barcelona circuit for Leclerc and Sainz.
This programme continued with the Silverstone and Brackley-based teams in another Spanish venue. Yesterday afternoon, unlike on Tuesday when Hamilton and Alonso drove, George Russell and Lance Stroll took the wheel.
They tested various set-up solutions, under the direction of Pirelli, to limit tyre headaches as much as possible. The British driver completed 158 laps, while the Canadian 156. The best time of the day, albeit relative given the personalized work programs, was that of the Mercedes driver.
Russell’s best time was a 1:18.259. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll’s best lap was a 1:19.130.
The Director of Pirelli Motorsport, Mario Isola, was satisfied with the work carried out by the two teams, who contributed to the collection of a lot of data, focused on the overheating of the tyres in the race:
“They were two days of very profitable tests which, combined with those in Barcelona last week allowed us to collect an important amount of data.
“We worked mainly on solutions aimed at reducing overheating, one of the most delicate points in the management of the current range of tyres, but also on different construction concepts.
“We will now dedicate ourselves to an in-depth analysis of the data collected to define the next steps in development for next season, taking inspiration from some interesting indications that have emerged so far.”
Finally, he wanted to thank the teams for their availability:
“I want to thank the three teams involved so far for the support they have given us. And for making their official drivers available to us, whose feedback is always very useful and precise.”
Pirelli’s development tests will continue on April 9th and 10th in Suzuka, two days after the Japanese Grand Prix.
The 2024 Visa CashApp RB F1 Team and Stake F1 Team single-seaters will be on track.
