Pirelli eyes Kobayashi and Sutil
Still seeking drivers with recent Formula 1 experience to develop its future tires, Pirelli might turn to Kamui Kobayashi or Adrian Sutil to hire them as test drivers if Jaime Alguersuari were to leave the Italian manufacturer.
Paul Hembery, the director of motorsport at Pirelli, revealed several names of current or former Formula 1 drivers whom the Italian manufacturer is eyeing to become test drivers.
After a first season in F1 with the Virgin team in 2010, Lucas di Grassi joined Pirelli in 2010. He succeeded Nick Heidfeld and worked with Pedro de la Rosa and Romain Grosjean. The last driver he worked with was Jaime Alguersuari, and the Spaniard hopes to use this year as a test driver as a springboard for a return as a full-time driver in Formula 1, which would require Pirelli to find a new candidate.
Hembery told the Brazilian site TotalRace that the contract of the former Virgin driver was coming to an end at the end of the season and that no decision had been made about his future for the moment: « Lucas is doing a very good job for us. His extension depends on our decision to stay or not after 2013. »
Paul Hembery had recently expressed interest in Michael Schumacher’s experience, even though he doubted the German driver would be tempted: « I tried to convince him in Japan, but it didn’t work. » Another German is on Pirelli’s shortlist, Adrian Sutil: « In addition to Lucas, we are evaluating other names on the market like Sutil and Alguersuari. »
But like Alguersuari, Sutil is trying to secure a full-time seat for the 2013 season and he might therefore not be available. But he is not the only candidate, indeed, Hembery acknowledged that Kamui Kobayashi – whose future at Sauber is uncertain – was a possible candidate: « It’s a possibility. We’ll see what happens with Kobayashi. I imagine he’s still trying to secure a seat (as a full-time driver) so we’ll wait. »
