Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery was happy with how the first pre-season test of the Formula 1 season went at the Circuito de Jerez, and felt it was a pretty straightforward affair, especially compared to what happened a year ago at the same circuit. 824 more laps were covered in 2015 compared to 2014, with three less teams testing.
Pirelli brought all four dry weather compounds to the test, as well as their intermediate and full wet tyre, with the medium tyre getting the most use around the abrasive Jerez circuit. They also brought a special ‘Winter Hard’ tyre to try and combat the low temperatures on circuit, although these tyres are purely for testing usage and will not form a part of the 2015 tyre allocation.
“The provision of our ‘winter hard’ prototype compound – a specially created testing compound, with a fast warm-up – was clearly appreciated, as the drivers used it extensively,” revealed Hembery.
“The four days at Jerez were quite a straightforward test, with all the teams present getting in a lot more running than they did at this time last year: which just goes to show the phenomenal rate at which this hybrid technology has developed.”
Speaking about the test in Jerez, Hembery knows that the surface of the Jerez track is not representative of anything on the Formula 1 calendar, and he believes the two tests in Barcelona at the end of February will reveal more to the teams with regards to the new-for-2015 Pirelli tyre range.
“We experienced varied weather conditions on a very abrasive track at Jerez and encountered no issues, with generally positive comments from the drivers,” said Hembery. “From a tyre perspective, the two tests in Barcelona later this month will be more representative, as long as the weather remains favourable.
It’s clear that the new cars have already evolved a lot since 2014, and we anticipate further improvements before we reach Melbourne in March.”
Jerez Pre-Season Test Tyre Information
Run Lengths
| Tyre | Longest Run | Team | Laps | Day |
| Supersoft | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Soft | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus-Mercedes | 19 | 3 |
| Medium | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 29 | 1 |
| Hard | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 42 | 1 |
| Winter Hard | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 34 | 1 |
| Intermediate | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 25 | 3 |
| Full Wet | Felipe Nasr | Sauber-Ferrari | 4 | 2 |
Fastest Times
| Day | Driver | Team | Time | Tyre |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1m22.620 | Medium |
| 2 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1m20.984s | Medium |
| 3 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber-Ferrari | 1m21.545s | Soft |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1m20.841s | Soft |
