Formula 1 tyre manufacturer Pirelli have announced the test calendar for the brand new wider 2017 tyres.
Scuderia Ferrari will be the first team the test the much revised tyre on the 1-2 of August followed by Red Bull Racing and Mercedes AMG PETRONAS.
A modified Ferrari SF15-T will be the first Formula 1 car to test the new tyres, over two days of testing from 1-2 August at Fiorano. The track will be artificially dampened in order to carry out testing with Cinturato intermediate and full wet tyres.
On the 3-4 August, Red Bull will test the new P Zero slick tyres at Mugello, then in September Mercedes will field at Paul Ricard the third of the modified 2015 cars.
The three teams will allow Pirelli’s test and development programme agreed by the teams and the FIA to be completed. The teams are obliged to share the data that they gathered with the other teams for sporting equity.
The testing and development of the 2017 tyres will take place over 10 sessions in 24 days. Ferrari, Mercedes and Ferrari will supply the modified 2015 cars to the precise specification setup by the FIA to simulate next year’s cars. Next year will include faster cars, more downforce and wider tracks.
Each team will undertake testing equivalent to seven days per car, as the per the schedule, the teams will share the data equally. The three teams will take to the track for a collective validation test in Abu Dhabi on 29 November two days after the final race of the season.
Five circuits will host the Pirelli development programme including Fiorano, Mugello, Barcelona, Paul Ricard and Abu Dhabi. New 2017 spec tyres are much wider than the 2016 tyres, they will around 25% wider than the current specification.
After such limited tyre testing, the regulations were changed to allow teams to tyre test throughout the season. The teams have to run their 2012,2013 or 2014 spec cars using current tyre size but with prototype materials and structures of 2017. The tyre testing has been taking place since May and gives the teams more data and information regarding the tyres.
This programme, which began with Ferrari at Fiorano in May and continued in June with Red Bull at Paul Ricard, will carry on at the following venues this month:
12-13 July* – Silverstone – Mercedes – Slicks
16 July – Fiorano – Ferrari – Intermediates and Full Wets
18-19 July – Vallelunga – Red Bull – Slicks
*during the official in-season test that is happening at the same time with all the teams.
Calendar by Date
1-2 August – Fiorano – Ferrari – Wets
3-4 August – Mugello – Red Bull – Slicks
6-7 September – Barcelona – Ferrari – Slicks
6/7/8 September – Paul Ricard – Mercedes – Slicks
21-22 September – Paul Ricard – Mercedes – Wets
12-13 October – Barcelona – Mercedes – Slicks
14/15/16 October – Abu Dhabi – Red Bull – Slicks
2-3 November – Abu Dhabi – Red Bull – Wets
14/15/16 November – Abu Dhabi – Ferrari – Slicks
29 November – Abu Dhabi – ALL
