F1 Slicks to be Tested in Jerez?

Reports indicate Bridgestone will supply slicks for Formula One teams to trial at the upcoming test in Jerez, Spain. These tyres have not been used in Formula One since rule changes at the end of 1997 prohibited them, and earlier this year the FIA announced that the 2008 reintroduction of the tyres would be delayed. News printed in the Netherlands based magazine Formule 1, however, indicates that the smooth tyre’s return is still on the agenda.

The article, which quoted a spokesman from the BMW Sauber team, said that every team testing at Jerez in early December will be given several sets of slicks to experiment with, ahead of their likely reintroduction in the 2009 season. However Bridgestone has not confirmed any such activity, claiming that it is too early to discuss its plans for 2009.

The slicks hitting the track in Jerez will reportedly be based on the slick tyre currently made by Bridgestone for the GP2 series. Formule 1 also reported that tyre-warming blankets will be banned in 2008.