Pirelli wants a recent single-seater to prepare for 2013
Pirelli no longer wishes to use the Toyota TF109 to test the tires used in F1 because the Italian manufacturer considers this car obsolete compared to current machines. Paul Hembery would like to have a more recent car - from 2011, but for the moment, no solution has been found.
Pirelli is trying to find a solution to have a car from 2011 in order to test the tires that will be used in 2013. The Italian manufacturer was using a Toyota TF109 – from 2009 – but now this car is too technically different from the cars that will be on track in 2012.
Paul Hembery, the director of Pirelli’s motorsport division, regrets the fact that teams are unwilling to take the risk of one of them being favored if their car is used by Pirelli. Even though the manufacturer will share the data with all the teams and the tests will be conducted by a Pirelli test driver.
There was a suggestion that we could modify the 2009 Toyota, but the car is already in a museum and it’s not a realistic proposal. We have yet to have what we consider to be a possible option, Hembery told Autosport.
We would like a 2011 single-seater from someone, but it doesn’t matter who it comes from. We want to conduct our own tests accurately, and we feel that the older the single-seater, the more the results differ from a current car.
«We understand the point of view of the teams that don’t want to give an advantage to someone, but at some point we will have to make our own decision to get what we want because no one will congratulate us for not using a good car if things go wrong.»
Pirelli is keeping a backup option if things don’t work out. Indeed, Paul Hembery revealed that the Italian manufacturer could negotiate directly with a team to purchase one of its 2011 single-seaters. But until then, Pirelli will work on its tires through simulation, and the teams might also be called upon to contribute to this work.
«We are not interested in helping one particular team and we need to do our work. We have interesting ideas for 2013, but we need to work on them. »
« We are going to do a lot in the simulator, and we will work extensively in simulation with the teams by giving them 20 unknown specifications to test. It is something I do not rule out and that the teams will accept, I am certain of that. »
Even though a lot of work can be done using simulation, Pirelli will still need to conduct several test sessions on a circuit to validate the choices made.
«But to finalize the tires, especially the work on the rubber, we need a certain number of tests. Probably no more than three, just to finalize things. But we will get there, I’m sure of it,» added Hembery.
