Pirelli would have preferred to test with a 2011-specification car this year, Paul Hembery has admitted.
After writing off the 2009 Toyota as too outdated, F1′s tyre supplier struggled to find a solution with the teams as it pushed for a newer car for private tyre testing.

Ultimately, Pirelli acquired a 2010 Renault.

“We would have liked to have had a 2011 car,” Pirelli motor sport director Hembery told Auto Motor und Sport. “So we are one step away from being happy.”

He said it is no mistake that the chosen 2010 car is a Renault, not a title-winning Red Bull.

“We wanted a midfield car — there probably would have been too many complaints about the world championship-winning one.

“Also, the costs played a role,” added Hembery.

Missing now is a driver for Pirelli’s R30 Renault.

“There are a lot of names on the list,” revealed Hembery. “Even some that you wouldn’t have thought of.

“Ideally we want someone with experience from the 2011 season — so that reduces the number of candidates a bit.”

Pirelli would like some tyre tests to take place with the teams’ involvement, Paul Hembery has confirmed.

This week, the Italian marque’s official tester Lucas di Grassi is conducting Pirelli’s latest private tyre test at Monza.

But motor sport director Hembery admitted to Spain’s AS sports newspaper that Pirelli would also like some more relevant data for its future development from the current crop of cars.

“We’re working on it, but at the moment there’s nothing to say. We’re asking for help, because the Toyota 2009 car is different from those in the (current) world championship.

“It would also be good to do some testing immediately after a grand prix. We don’t know yet on what date or at what circuit.”

Asked if Monza is the most likely venue, Hembery insisted: “Really, nothing is clear yet.”

Lucas di Grassi kicked off life as Pirelli’s new main test driver with a two-day test in Barcelona.
The Brazilian and former Virgin driver did over 1000km at the Spanish grand prix venue on Monday and Tuesday at the wheel of Toyota’s newly-updated 2009 car.

Di Grassi, 26, told Globo Esporte he was happy with the outing.

“A reserve driver in formula one will not do 500 kilometres in a whole season and I did over a thousand in two days.

“I’m satisfied because we ran through the schedule and gathered important information,” he said.

The Brazilian report said di Grassi’s goal is to return to F1 in 2012.

“I’m well prepared physically and technically,” he insisted.

Returning to his test and reserve role at McLaren is reportedly Pedro de la Rosa’s ‘plan B’ for the 2011 season.

Although earlier linked with HRT for next season, the Spanish veteran has now acknowledged that most of the remaining vacancies on the grid are “reserved for drivers that come with a sponsor”.

“If in the end I have to be a reserve or a tester, I will, but first I will try everything (to race),” added 39-year-old de la Rosa.

Spain’s Diario AS sports newspaper claims that 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton has told McLaren that it should offer de la Rosa his former long-time third driver post for 2011.

“I am trying hard to be racing, but if it doesn’t happen it is not the end of the world,” de la Rosa is quoted as saying.

“I am calm because I know what I’ll do if I don’t find a team to race with,” he revealed.

It is also reported that de la Rosa’s contract as Pirelli test driver ends on 31 December, and that Romain Grosjean will be driving the 2009 Toyota during the tyre test in Bahrain next week.

Nico Hulkenberg will not return to Abu Dhabi later this week for the Pirelli tyre test.

The 23-year-old German said at the Yas Marina circuit at the weekend that he and 2010 teammate Rubens Barrichello will be sharing the FW32 for the two-day Pirelli tyre test on Friday and Saturday.

But on Monday, the British team announced that only Barrichello has been re-signed to race in 2011.

That news has affected Williams’ Pirelli test schedule, a spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

“Rubens will now drive both days,” he said.

Mark Webber will not be testing Pirelli’s 2011 tyres in Abu Dhabi late next week.

But Red Bull boss Christian Horner denied the news is a sign the Australian’s disparaging comments in Brazil, and ensuing rumours that Webber will be leaving the team, had motivated the decision.

Instead, the fact that only Sebastian Vettel will be testing the new tyres for Red Bull next week was taken “six weeks ago”, Horner insisted.

It emerged on Thursday that neither of McLaren’s race drivers will be doing the Pirelli test.

But at Mercedes, Nico Rosberg will be equally sharing track time on the new tyres with his teammate Michael Schumacher.

“It is an important test because there is a lot to learn in a short time,” Rosberg is quoted in Abu Dhabi by Turun Sanomat.

“The new tyres will have a different behaviour that must be learned, like braking points and perhaps a different driving style,” added the German.

McLaren will be the only top team not deploying at least one of its race drivers for next week’s first Pirelli tyre test in Abu Dhabi.

“I wanted to do the test, but the team said ‘really we don’t think it’s the right time for you to be testing the tyres because they’re going to change a lot’,” Jenson Button told reporters at the Yas Marina circuit on Thursday.

Button said McLaren’s first “serious testing” with the 2011 tyres will therefore occur only after the MP4-25′s successor is launched.

Lewis Hamilton will also not be testing on 19-20 November, with Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey to drive the 2010 car instead.

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Medium, Hard (both asymmetric)

The traditional two-day post-race test at Valencia proved a valuable opportunity for Bridgestone to continue with its fundamental tyre development programme and four test items were prepared for each of the 17 MotoGP riders.

The test items offered by Bridgestone were one developmental front tyre compound, two developmental rear tyre compounds and one developmental rear tyre construction, each of which was given valuable track time by almost all riders during the two days, despite their own busy test programmes.

Testing schedules were delayed on the opening day of the test due to early morning rain showers that left the track greasy, but in the afternoon Colin Edwards embarked upon an exhaustive tyre test with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team. Conditions on the second day were much improved, and with crucial track time under their belts almost all of the teams and riders tested the four new tyre specs.

The results of this test will allow Bridgestone to determine the direction of future tyre development.

Tohru Ubukata – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“This test was very valuable for us as we were able to obtain a great deal of data from our four developmental specs thanks to the support of the teams and the riders. During this test the teams and riders had intensive test programmes of their own but they dedicated time to our tyre test programme so I am very grateful to them for this. Our test programme of one front and three rear slick tyre specs is a fundamental study for our future tyre development and we obtained a lot of positive feedback and very promising data from these two days. From these results we can now start our new development strategy for the future. This test marks the end of field activity for 2010, and I want to thank all the teams and riders once more for their support of Bridgestone and our tyre testing not only these last two days but throughout the season.”

HRT has reportedly bought Japanese carmaker Toyota’s former formula one team.

The new Spanish team has struggled with its Dallara-built car and a lack of development in 2010.

It was initially believed that Hispania Racing, bought by Jose Ramon Carabante from Adrian Campos before the start of its debut season, had agreed a deal to base its 2011 car on the unraced Toyota TF110.

It is for this reason, according to paddock speculation, that Toyota Motorsport only made available its 2009 car for Pirelli’s tyre testing programme.

It has been subsequently reported that HRT could buy hydraulic systems and gearboxes from the British team Williams for 2010.

But Auto Motor und Sport, citing “reliable sources”, reports that HRT has bought “the expertise, equipment and facilities” of Toyota’s Cologne based team.

At the same time, the magazine notes rumours that Hispania is behind in its payments to engine supplier Cosworth.

Romain Grosjean’s new Pirelli testing role is a good step towards his return to the formula one grid, according to Eric Boullier.

Boullier is not only boss of the Renault team, but also the Gravity Sport management company, who have recently signed up the Swiss-born French driver.

“It’s obviously a very good thing for him,” Boullier, referring to the Pirelli job, is quoted by France’s Auto Hebdo.

GP2 and former Renault driver Grosjean, 24, has been appointed to replace the Sauber-bound Nick Heidfeld at this week’s Pirelli tyre test at Monza.

He is hoping the role will become full-time.

Said Boullier: “It allows him to drive a formula one car and gives him credibility within the paddock.

“He deserves a second chance,” added the Frenchman, who decided to replace Grosjean with Russian pay-driver Vitaly Petrov for the 2010 Renault race seat.

Boullier said “a lot of teams” positioned to have drivers appointed by Pirelli to replace Heidfeld.

He also expects Petrov and his teammate Robert Kubica to have a better weekend in Singapore after a difficult Monza outing.

“We knew Monza was not our favourite track, but from Singapore and the rest of the season we should regain the level of performance we had in Belgium,” said Boullier.

“We are not planning to change the ‘F-duct’ in Singapore because it’s working just fine, but we will have a new front wing,” he revealed.

Romain Grosjean has admitted he is hoping to be appointed the full-time replacement for departed Pirelli tyre tester Nick Heidfeld.

Heidfeld left the role after his third Pirelli tyre test at Jerez late last week because he is returning to the formula one grid with Sauber.

Former Renault racer and GP2 driver Grosjean, 24, will replace the Sauber-bound German when F1′s incoming official tyre supplier moves its 2011 programme to the Monza circuit this week.

But it has not been confirmed that the Swiss-born Frenchman will be staying in the role beyond his Italian outing.

“I am doing two days at Monza on Tuesday and Wednesday,” he told Auto Hebdo in a French-language interview.

“After this test the decision will be made about continuing together or not. I hope to be with the project until the end,” added Grosjean.

“I’m anxious to get behind the wheel of a formula one car again, especially as this Toyota was clearly one of the best cars at the end of last season.

“To be again accumulating kilometres in an F1 car is of course a good step towards returning to F1 soon,” he said.

Grosjean attended the Jerez test last week, before travelling to Toyota’s Cologne headquarters for a seat fitting.

“Nick told me the TF109 is very good and very neutral, which is the perfect way to test tyres,” he added.

Romain Grosjean will replace departing test driver Nick Heidfeld at Pirelli’s next formula one tyre test.

Because Heidfeld has signed to return to racing with Sauber in Singapore and beyond, the Italian marque said the German will no longer work with F1′s 2011 tyre supplier “to avoid favouring any individual team”.

The 33-year-old’s last outing with Pirelli was this week at Jerez over two days.

And the 2011-2013 official supplier’s next outing will be at Monza next week, with former Renault driver Grosjean at the wheel of the Toyota.

“He’s packed a lot of experience into a short space of time, including all our GP3 tyre development, so I’m sure he’ll be able to give us some very useful feedback,” said Pirelli’s motor sport director Paul Hembery.

Swiss-born Frenchman Grosjean, 24, contested 7 grands prix with Renault last year, and most recently has been replacing injured GP2 driver Ho-Pin Tung.

Paul Ricard will host Pirelli’s next formula one tyre development test.

After the Italian marque began its 2011 programme with a shakedown at Mugello last week, it was reported that test driver Nick Heidfeld and last year’s Toyota car are now en route to Monza.

But according to Italy’s 422race.com, the high speed venue of the Italian grand prix will actually host the third test, with Paul Ricard’s configurable test track in Le Castellet to in fact be Pirelli’s host next week.

The Monza test will reportedly take place on 21 and 22 September; a little more than a week after the Italian grand prix there.

It is expected that Jerez in Spain will also host a closed Pirelli test, before all the teams run the tyres for the first time in Abu Dhabi after November’s season finale.

422race.com said that at Mugello last week, observers outside the Italian venue reported that Heidfeld recorded more than 100 laps on both test days.

The next Pirelli tyre test will reportedly take place at Monza.

The Italian marque kicked off its 2011 tyre development programme this week, with Nick Heidfeld at the wheel of last year’s Toyota at Ferrari-owned Mugello.

It was believed the next test would take place at Jerez, but Finland’s Turun Sanomat said the outing will actually be at Monza, the high speed circuit that annually hosts the Italian grand prix.

Paul Ricard has also been mentioned as likely forthcoming Pirelli test venues.

The next outing will take place next week.

Pirelli has also confirmed reports that all the current F1 teams will get their first taste of the 2011 tyres at a test in Abu Dhabi following November’s season ending race.