Pirelli Tyre tests in Abu Dhabi

[Kyss4k]

Results of the morning session:

http://sp3ctor.wz.cz/pirelli.jpg

Doesn't look so bad :-)

[Agron]

Looks promising, although we don't know how much fuel they carried or if they drove on the limit or ...

[eilfff]

How important are those tests? Because there are different opinions:

1. Very important, because if 2010 car is good on Pirelli now, then probably 2011 car will be good too.
2. Important but not too much, car 2011 will be different so everything will be new.
3. It doesn't matter, the teams want only to learn new tyres.

[Hermann]

For everyone interested there's a live timing in french:

http://www.f1-direct.fr/live-essais-prives.php

Works quite well with google translation.

Some quotes:


Time: 6:10
Moreover, it is not exactly the tires hard and soft tires that will be used in 2011 and that is why McLaren decided not to involve its race drivers.

The teams will roll with only one car per day and will have both days from 8 sets of tires: 4 sets of soft tires and 4 sets hard tire.

Time: 6:46
Contrary to Bridgestone, Pirelli will not provide specific tires for each race. The manufacturer will provide four types of compound which will cover 20 races in 2011 even if the tracks are different.


The McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, said on his Twitter page Pirelli his first impression: "I think the Pirelli tires are very similar to Bridgestone."

[SilverSpeed]

Whooping ass

P Pilotes Equipes Temps Ecarts Trs
1 Massa Ferrari 1:40.218 --- 42
2 Vettel Red Bull 1:40.861 +0.643 34
3 Kubica Renault 1:41.032 +0.814 25
4 Barrichello Williams 1:41.425 +1.207 62
5 Kobayashi Sauber 1:41.466 +1.248 33
6 Paffett McLaren 1:41.471 +1.253 66
7 Rosberg Mercedes 1:41.978 +1.760 40
8 Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1:42.642 +2.424 33
9 Sutil Force India 1:42.859 +2.641 20
10 Glock Virgin 1:45.057 +4.839 41
11 Kovalainen Lotus 1:45.158 +4.940 64
12 Maldonado Hrt F1 1:45.728 +5.510 62
13 Buemi Toro Rosso -.--.--- +-.--- ---
14 Di Resta Force India -.--.--- +-.--- ---
15 Perez Sauber -.--.--- +-.--- ---

[Hermann]

Time: 12:10

Massa had done his best time of 1:40.202 in qualifying for the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi with the Bridgestone tires. He is therefore 0.016 seconds off his best time in Q3.


I think we can forget about the time table, more or less. The times are irrelevant here, the teams are testing the behaviour of the tyres, and when Paffet is right (though i'm more interested in the comments of the regular drivers) there is almost no difference to the bridgestones.

[bobi_ve]

Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1.Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.170s 94
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.500s 77
3. Gary Paffett McLaren 1m40.874s 94
4. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m40.950s 83
5. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.032s 39
6. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m41.425s 91
7. Paul di Resta Force India 1m41.615s 20
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.778s 81
9. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m42.019s 71
10. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m42.859s 20
11. Timo Glock Virgin 1m44.124s 78
12. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus 1m44.686s 88
13. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m45.728s 83

[Alonsomaniac]

I know it means completely nothing, but still it is always nice to see a Ferrari on top.......;-)

[Salvador Dali]

It may be that they are very similar to Bridgestone tires BUT it seems (just by the fact that FM set the time and not Alonso...) that their front tires are much easyer to handle. In my book that is good!

Forca PIRELLI :-D

[Mrs.Domenicali]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88412

Massa quickest on Pirelli test day one

By Edd Straw Friday, November 19th 2010, 13:04 GMT

Ferrari's Felipe Massa topped the first day of Pirelli tyre testing in Abu Dhabi, the first time that Formula 1 teams have tried the Italian manufacturer's new-for-2011 rubber.

The Brazilian complained throughout the 2010 season that tyre warm-up struggles were to blame for his poor qualifying performances, saying recently that "I'm sure if I fix the big problem I had this year I will be back in the fight." By topping the first test on the new tyres, he got his preparations for next season off to a perfect start.

The Brazilian set a best time of 1m40.170s to displace world champion Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) at the top of the timesheets during the afternoon session. Massa's time was two tenths slower than that of Ferrari tester Jules Bianchi from the recent young driver test and half a second off team-mate Fernando Alonso's qualifying lap for the recent Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Vettel was only three tenths off Massa and seven tenths ahead of McLaren test driver Gary Paffett, who is driving in place of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button throughout the tyre test.

Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi was fourth-fastest ahead of Renault's Robert Kubica, who only completed 39 laps after hitting mechanical trouble, with Rubens Barrichello ending the day sixth fastest for Williams. The vastly experienced Brazilian completed almost 100 laps during the day, spending the morning concentrating on assessing the aerodynamic impact of the new tyres before working on tyre behaviour in the afternoon.

Scottish rising star Paul di Resta, who beat Vettel to the 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series title, ended up seventh-fastest despite not hitting the track until the late afternoon. Force India suffered an exhaust problem in the morning while Adrian Sutil was behind the wheel and spent much of the day rebuilding its car.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was eighth-fastest on the first day of a vital test for Mercedes, which struggled with tyre use all year. He outpaced Jaime Alguersuari (Toro Rosso), who was the first driver to take to the track in the morning.

Sutil ended the day 10th fastest, only completing 20 laps, with Virgin's Timo Glock ending the day best of the new teams ahead of Heikki Kovalainen (Lotus).

Williams aspirant Pastor Maldonado continued his week of testing with a second day at HRT. He ended the day under nine tenths off Kovalainen.

The session was red-flagged with two minutes to go when Vettel stopped following a tyre failure on the right rear. Pirelli is investigating the cause, which was the first failure it has suffered since it began testing its 2011 F1 rubber.


Pos Driver Car Time Laps
1. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m40.170s 94
2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull 1m40.500s 77
3. Gary Paffett McLaren 1m40.874s 94
4. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber 1m40.950s 83
5. Robert Kubica Renault 1m41.032s 39
6. Rubens Barrichello Williams 1m41.425s 91
7. Paul di Resta Force India 1m41.615s 20
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m41.778s 81
9. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso 1m42.019s 71
10. Adrian Sutil Force India 1m42.859s 20
11. Timo Glock Virgin 1m44.124s 78
12. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus 1m44.686s 88
13. Pastor Maldonado Hispania 1m45.728s 83

All timing unofficial