Pirelli chairman hopes Mercedes racers join test roster

Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera has said that he thinks is would be wrong for teams not to provide race drivers for the testing of 2017 tyres.

So far Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel have tested for Ferrari alongside Esteban Gutierrez and tester Jean Eric Vergne, while Sebastien Buemi, and Pascal Wehrlein have been in action for Red Bull and Mercedes respectively.

However, Tronchetti Provera hopes that Mercedes will opt to use their own race drivers for 2017 tyre testing, despite previously saying they don't plan to.

"Ferrari gave the best drivers and I think and hope all the rest will give them," he told Autosport. "The priority is to have the best pilot."

"The speed is changing, so the best pilots, they have to test it. They have the sensibility to understand the change [in the tyres]," he added. "It's up to them, it's not yet in the agenda. I hope to see on the agenda, also their names."

Tronchetti Provera also spoke of the importance of testing the new compounds ahead of the new regulations set to be introduced next year.

"[The tests] are key," Tronchetti Provera said. "The kind of changes that are going on couldn't be reached without proper testing.!

"We are talking about performances with cars improving four or five seconds per lap. It would be nonsense not to test it," he continued. "Now we have the programme, we are doing it, and everything is fine."

Replies (1)

Login to reply
  • denis1304

    Posts: 284

    i think Hamilton didn't want to do tests and Mercedes didn't want to give Rosberg upper hand (my conspiracy theory :-)

    • + 0
    • Sep 13 2016 - 19:49

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

Test calendar

See full test schedule

World Championship standings 2026

Show full world champion standings

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Spain
-
Bahrain
-
Bahrain
6 - Mar 8
Australia
13 - Mar 15
China
27 - Mar 29
Japan
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
1 - May 3
United States of America
22 - May 24
Canada
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
12 - Jun 14
Spain
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2026

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
10 - Apr 12
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
5 - Jun 7
Monaco Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
See full schedule

Driver profile

  • Team Aston Martin
  • Points 1,480
  • Podiums 56
  • Grand Prix 161
  • Country DE
  • Date of b. Jul 3 1987 (38)
  • Place of b. Heppenheim, DE
  • Weight 62 kg
  • Length 1.75 m
Show full profile

Team profile

  • Team name Pirelli
  • Base Milan, Italy
Show full profile
show sidebar