25/10/2013
NEWS STORY
Pirelli has warned that unless its testing rules are changed it might not be in a position to provide tyres for the sport in 2014.
Not for the first time the Italian manufacturer has warned that the current rules are too restrictive, especially in light of the new engine formula.
At present, Pirelli is not scheduled to test its 2014 rubber with the teams until the first official pre-season test at Jerez in late January. Though it can carry out its own private test before then it would have to be with an 'out of date' car.
Referring to comments made by company chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera to the Italian media recently, Hembery warned "there has to be some running or we can't do the tyres."
"We'd like some common sense, that's what we'd like," he continued. "We have to do some testing if we can, otherwise we won't be able to provide the tyres next year."
In an ideal world, he admitted, Pirelli would like to carry out a test with the 2014 cars in December, but he knows that this is impossible. However, a test with a 2013 car is preferable to the current situation whereby his company is restricted to a 2011 chassis.
"You can get relative levels of data, but you won't get absolute levels," he said. "Taking the conceptual work, you've got a choice of learning nothing if you don't run or something if you do run. That's the only way I can say it. Clearly, we would love to have a 2014 car in December, that's what we really need. But with the timing of the winter tests in Bahrain and Jerez... if we had a month and a half between Bahrain and the first race we could do it that way. But we don't have that luxury, unfortunately.
"People expect just the magic things sometimes out of thin air..." he added.
Asked whether progress was being made, he said: "It's ongoing but we have to do some testing. We don't need a lot because we are changing some of the concepts. The structure we are not so worried about but in terms of the compounds there are a few conceptual changes we have to trial, ideally on a 2014 car as soon as possible. But all the teams are struggling to get ready for Jerez, so that's not going to happen."
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