New Pirelli tyres to be tested in Canada

The new range of Pirelli P Zero tyres will be tested by Formula One teams during free practice at the Canadian Grand Prix, the tyre manufacturer announced Thursday.

The tyres used for the actual race in Montreal on June 9 will, however, remain in their original 2013 specification.

Pirelli said the decision was taken “in order to provide some testing time before any new range of tyres is introduced”.

“The P Zero White medium and P Zero Red supersoft for Canada will be in exactly the same specification as that which the teams started the season, with no adjustments,” the company said.

“This new tyre will be brought to Canada as an experimental tyre for free practice, as allowed by the current regulations. Each driver will receive two sets of this new medium compound for use during Friday’s two sessions only.

“Following feedback from the teams and drivers, the new specification of tyre is then set to be introduced from the British Grand Prix at the end of June, and will remain in place until the end of the year.”

Pirelli’s tyres have come in for criticism this season, notably at the Spanish Grand Prix where drivers had to make four pit stops because the company’s high-performance tyres were wearing out too quickly.

Drivers including Britons Jensen Button and Lewis Hamilton also complained that they were having to take corners slower to avoid wear and tear on Pirelli’s soft fast-wearing tyres.