Having run its Formula One PZero tyre for the first time in Italy last month, Pirelli’s eagerly-anticipated Formula One test campaign continued this week at the Le Castellet circuit in the south of France, again with Nick Heidfeld at the wheel of the Toyota TF109 fitted with Pirelli’s latest Formula One tyres.

The Italian firm won the tender to supply tyres exclusively to the FIA Formula One World Championship from 2011-2013 earlier this year, and since then a concentrated campaign of research and development has been ongoing to prepare for Pirelli’s first Formula One season in 20 years.

With the initial shakedown work at Mugello from August 17-18 proving to be extremely successful, Pirelli continued its development programme at Paul Ricard for two days, working on both constructions and compounds as per the planned schedule.

At the same time, Italian driver Giorgio Pantano continued to test Pirelli’s GP2 tyres, which will also make their debut next season as part of a three-year tyre supply agreement that takes in the entry-level GP3 series as well.

Temperatures in the south of France remained warm throughout both test days, with an average ambient temperature of 24 degrees Centigrade and average track temperature of 28 degrees Centigrade.

The Le Castellet circuit, which has recently been developed into a high-tech test facility, can be driven in a number of different configurations. Pirelli’s test team made full use of the circuit to run a high-speed configuration, enabling the engineers to assess the performance of the tyres under extreme loading as well as through slower and more technical sections.

Throughout both days of the test, the car and the tyres performed perfectly. The performance of the new rubber, as well as its consistency and reliability, fully matched Pirelli’s expectations – as motorsport director Paul Hembery explained.

“We’re very happy with the progress we’ve made so far, which actually puts us slightly ahead of where we expected to be at this point in time,” pointed out Hembery. “We worked through an initial development programme that has given us a useful insight into the performance of our prototype tyres under a wide range of conditions, corners and speeds. We’ve been hugely encouraged by what we’ve seen up to now, and that’s been helped by both Nick’s clear and precise feedback, as well as all the different possibilities afforded to us by the Paul Ricard circuit.”

Pirelli’s test programme will continue in Spain in two weeks’ time. In the meantime, the company will take to the track at Monza for the finale of this year’s GP3 Series from September 11-12, which is exclusively supplied by Pirelli in its inaugural season.

The Spa-Francorchamps circuit, located in the foothills of the Ardennes in Belgium, traditionally produces some dramatic races. This year was no exception, in Pirelli’s first season of supplying the newly-created GP3 Series.

The GP3 Series exists to train young drivers for the demands they will face at the pinnacle of single-seater racing in the future, such as Formula One, which will be supplied by Pirelli from 2011. At Spa, the champions of tomorrow learned some hard lessons.

One of the defining characteristics of Spa is variable weather, and this was very much in evidence throughout qualifying and both races. Pirelli came to Spa – the seventh and penultimate round of the GP3 Series – with the medium compound PZero 13-inch tyre, designed to cope with a wide range of weather conditions.

However, the rain tyre also played a starring role during the weekend at Spa, whose iconic corners such as Eau Rouge and Blanchimont have defined motorsport history.

Qualifying on Saturday morning provided a taste of what was to come, as it was held on a wet track that progressively dried out. Consequently, drivers started the session on rain tyres before coming in to switch to slick tyres as a dry line emerged.

“From a technical point of view it was a very interesting session, as it allowed us to evaluate the performance of our tyres on a drying track, and assess at which point slick tyres became quicker,” commented Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Racing Manager.

The first race on Saturday afternoon was interrupted by safety cars and torrential rain. When the rain hit, nearly all the competitors dived into the pits to change to wet tyres.

But pole-sitter Robert Wickens stayed out on slicks to take the lead and because of a safety car, none of the other competitors were allowed to overtake him. The Status Grand Prix driver judged his pace to ensure that the maximum permitted time limit for the race would be reached, so that it could end under the safety car and give him victory.

The second race on Sunday morning was won by Adrien Tambay, the son of ex-Formula One driver Patrick Tambay. The Frenchman was quickest in Friday practice but started Sunday’s race from 27th on the grid: co-incidentally the race number that his father was most famous for.

Again, the race was hit by rain halfway through but Tambay managed to drive through the shower and then take advantage of his PZero slick tyres when the track dried out again. With most other drivers having chosen to pit for rain tyres, Tambay claimed a brilliant tactical victory for Manor Motorsport.

“Our tyres were at the centre of the action this weekend, which featured two of the most unusual and entertaining races that we have seen so far this GP3 season,” added Isola. “The performance of Robert Wickens on Saturday and Adrien Tambay on Sunday proved that our medium compound PZero slick tyres were able to stay on the road even in mixed conditions. Both drivers managed to use the rain to their advantage even while running on our slick tyres. We are delighted to see that GP3 is fulfilling its role of teaching drivers not only about close competition but also about racecraft in challenging conditions.”

The final two races of the eight-round GP3 series take place on home territory for Pirelli at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza from September 11-12. With the championship leader Esteban Gutierrez failing to score this weekend, Wickens still stands a chance of claiming the inaugural GP3 drivers’ title in Italy.

 

Spa-Francorchamps, nestling in the foothills of the Ardennes, is an epic drivers’ circuit that has produced some memorable on-track battles for several years. With legendary corners such as Eau Rouge and Blanchimont, the track is an awesome test of bravery and skill. This weekend the GP3 drivers – the Formula One champions of the future – get the chance to experience one of the most thrilling circuits in the world, running on Pirelli tyres.

Pirelli, which recently tested its Formula One tyres for the first time, is supplying the inaugural GP3 Series with control rubber this year, putting the emphasis firmly on driving talent. With 30 identical 280-horsepower cars on the GP3 grid, all the young drivers get the same chance to impress in front of Grand Prix crowds.

As well as the sustained high speeds, one of the biggest challenges posed by Spa is variable weather. On occasions, it can even be raining on one part of the circuit while another part of the track is completely dry. There is a reasonable chance then that the drivers will get to use Pirelli’s wet weather tyres at some point during the weekend, which so far have only seen competitive action in Hockenheim. On each round of the GP3 Series, drivers are allocated three sets of PZero dry weather tyres and two sets of wet weather tyres.

For the complex demands of the Spa circuit – situated only an hour down the road from Trier in Germany, where Pirelli was competing on the World Rally Championship last weekend – the Italian tyre firm and the GP3 Series organisers have opted for the medium compound tyre. The medium tyre will also be used for the next and final race on the GP3 calendar in Monza next month.

This 13-inch tyre, which made its debut on the first round of this year’s GP3 Series in Barcelona, was chosen for its adaptability in view of the wide range of conditions likely to be encountered in Belgium. While it is rare to have a Belgian Grand Prix weekend with no rain, warm temperatures in August are equally possible.

Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola explained: “As is often the case in motorsport, finding the right tyre for Spa was a question of identifying the best compromise. We are expecting rain at some point, so there is a good chance that we will use the wet tyres for at least one of the sessions. Equally, if it is warm, the soft compound tyre may not be ideal for high temperatures. The medium tyre is well-suited to the characteristics of Spa, which include high speeds and considerable loads on the tyres, although the surface is not especially aggressive. We’re entering the closing stages of the championship now, with just four races remaining. Naturally, we can expect all the drivers and teams to be trying their hardest to improve their positions during this crucial period. Our aim is to give them a stable and competitive tyre to help them do this.”

The new GP3 Series has been designed as a feeder series to GP2, which will also be supplied by Pirelli next year, with the Italian firm providing a ladder of talent capable of taking young drivers all the way to the very top of single-seater racing.

Mexico’s Esteban Gutierrez continues to lead the GP3 Series by 30 points from Robert Wickens.In the teams’ standings ART Grand Prix heads Status Grand Prix by 50 points.

Practice for GP3 takes place on Friday 27 August, with qualifying and race one on Saturday 28 August. The second race takes place in the morning of Sunday 29 August, with both races lasting half an hour.