Pirelli continues progress on 2011 F1 tyre

Pirelli enjoyed another two successful day of Formula One tyre testing at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track (HTTT) this week. Having tested the Pzero tyres on an F1 car for the first time in Mugello last month, Nick Heidfeld was back in action at the wheel of a 2009 Toyota in Le Castellet.

The Italian firm said they worked on construction and compounds for their 2011 tyre range. Warm and consistent weather conditions allowed for much progress, with an average ambient temperature of 24 degrees Celsius, and an average track temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. Pirelli chose to put its rubber through its paces on a high-speed configuration of the HTTT enabling the engineers to assess the performance of the tyres under extreme loading as well as through slower and more technical sections.