Mercedes at the heart of a controversy after tire tests

The Mercedes team, whose two cars will start from pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix in less than two hours, finds itself at the center of a controversy surrounding Pirelli tires. Indeed, the team based in Brackley reportedly conducted three days of testing following the Spanish Grand Prix to test the future Pirelli tires, covering a total of approximately 1000 kilometers.

If private testing is not allowed during the season, it seems that it was Pirelli who offered Mercedes this opportunity. The Italian manufacturer is subject to numerous criticisms and, according to sources from Autosport, Pirelli can call on a team to test tires if circumstances require it, and this is apparently the choice that Pirelli made.

However, the fact that these three testing days have remained secret until today doesn’t please the other teams, who believe that Mercedes could benefit from these tests and thus gain a better understanding of the tires, which could help them perform better, as they appear to be struggling with the Italian rubbers since the start of the season.

According to the British publication, some team directors even intend to take the matter to the FIA, requesting clarification on the subject. This is notably the case for the Red Bull team, as Christian Horner told Autosport: “We discovered this last night. We now have to handle this through the proper procedures, so that’s what will be done. I can understand that Pirelli wants to test its tires, as they clearly have issues with the tires. What is disappointing is that it was not done in a transparent manner. Three days of testing took place with a current car on tires that will be used at the next Grand Prix. While some may say it’s not significant, it remains testing.”