Pirelli's first wet-night test underway

Tuesday 18th January 2011

Pirelli's first wet-night test underway

Pirelli's first wet-night test underway

Pirelli made some history on Monday when it held Formula One's first wet-night test at the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.

Former Sauber driver Pedro de la Rosa was the man behind the wheel of the car during testing on a circuit that was soaked with water.

The 5.55km track had been coated in water for the night test which will take place over two evenings. The tyre manufacturer hopes to cover more than 1,000km.

Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery says the hot conditions in the Middle East were key to their decision to test in Abu Dhabi.

"The reason we're here is because it's warmer," he said. "Of course we could find plenty of wet testing in Europe at Valencia, Silverstone or elsewhere, but in Europe when it's wet it's also cold.

"There are wet races in F1 in Asia - Malaysia, Japan, possibly Singapore - and those places are different, the ambient temperature stays very high even when it's raining.

"The compounds are extremely sensitive to temperatures in wet conditions, so this provides different information for us on competitive use.

"And we're testing at night time because we don't want the sun to evaporate the water on the track."

User comments

    Loading

      Post a comment

      Glitz, Glamour, Monaco!

      Editor's Picks

      NTF1N: Dieter's Lottery

      NTF1N: Dieter's Lottery

      Red Bull Racing boss Dieter Mateschitz reckons that F1 this season is like watching a load of lottery balls come up...

      Team-Mate Wars: Spain

      Team-Mate Wars: Spain

      Fernando's continuing whitewash is beginning to cause concern at Maranello, while Lewis has banished his own tyre demons...

      PF1 Forum: Chatting Away

      PF1 Forum: Chatting Away

      Pastor Maldonado for the World title? Lewis Hamilton to Williams in 2012? And everyone reckons they can win. All these and more...

      Conclusions From Spain

      Conclusions From Spain

      It's a season where nothing lasts forever as highlighted by Pastor becoming the fifth different driver to claim a race win...

      Fantasy League: Game On

      Fantasy League: Game On

      Think you'd be a better team boss than PlanetF1? Join Our Friends & Enemy League on the PlanetF1 Fantasy League...