Progress made in hunt for F1 test car – Pirelli
According to news published by Autosport.com, Pirelli may not be far from closing a deal that will provide it with a new Formula 1 test car. The tyre maker has been without its own test vehicle since the end of last year as the modified 2009 Toyota used in preparation for its F1 comeback is now a museum piece, its technology deemed too outdated to provide Pirelli with good data.
Pirelli was unable to reach an agreement with Formula 1 teams on a solution that would allow it to continue track testing in 2012, however Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery remains optimistic that a solution can be found. He believes the Italian tyre firm will soon have a more recent F1 car at its disposal. “There is some ongoing progress, but I cannot tell you anything about it yet,” said Hembery. “It would appear that you can run a 2010 car without contravening any rules and regulations.”
Autosport says one option open to Pirelli is to seek tenders from individual teams to provide it with a 2010 chassis for the year ahead; and while utilising a single team’s car could result in grumbling from rival outfits, Hembery makes clear that Pirelli has no choice but to find a workable solution. “In the end we’ve got to do our job,” he said. “We’re not trying to help any particular team; we’re just trying to do our own work. At the end of the day, as long as we can ensure that the data position that we are gaining and our decisions are based on what we want to do, and not by individual pressure from any team, then I think we are maintaining our partiality. And that’s what we intend to do.”
On-track testing of Pirelli’s 2013 tyres is scheduled to start in late March. Hembery told Autosport that “time is running out” and stressed that Pirelli is open to offers from teams interested in selling a car “at a very good rate, with good technical support.”
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