Teams will test 2013 tires in Brazil

Pirelli has been working since the beginning of the year on its tires for the 2013 Formula 1 season. The manufacturer plans to make adjustments to its compounds, with the objective of providing tires that offer a wider operating window.

The teams were originally not supposed to test these tires before the winter tests scheduled for February 2013, but according to *Autosport*, Pirelli is expected to provide two sets of 2013 tires for each car during the free practice sessions of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

This opportunity delights the teams because it will give them a preview of what the 2013 tires will be like, allowing them to see how (well) to design their car to be competitive with the new Italian rubber.

« The tires should still be quite significantly different. […] But we have no details on their structure at the moment. The numbers they [Pirelli] provide suggest that there will be a more rigid construction, even if the compounds should be quite similar… so we expect a quite different tire next year. That’s why these Friday tests in Brazil are so important, » Ross Brawn said, quoted by Autosport.

Same sentiment from McLaren. Sam Michael, the sporting director of the Woking team, told the British publication that these tests will provide a preliminary idea: « These tests are very important for the teams. It’s really important because it will be the only opportunity before February [to test them]. They [the tires] will be different at the front and rear, so this will be the only time to gather data. »

However, for the moment, there’s nothing to say that the teams will actually be able to test these tires because if it rains during Friday’s practice, these 2013 tires cannot be tested. But if the weather is good and the championship is still undecided at Interlagos, some teams might have to rack their brains to decide whether it’s better to play for the title or start preparing for 2013 by testing these tires.