13/11/2017
NEWS STORY
The planned tyre test at Interlagos this week has been cancelled following attacks on F1 crews.
This week's two-day tyre test at Interlagos with McLaren has been cancelled following the spate of attacks on F1 crews over the Grand Prix weekend.
Stoffel Vandoorne and Lando Norris were scheduled to run the 2018 compounds on Tuesday and Wednesday, but this afternoon Pirelli announced that the test has been cancelled over security concerns.
"Following a robbery attempt, neutralized by Pirelli security, on a Pirelli van at the Interlagos circuit last Sunday, after a weekend where similar episodes occurred with other teams, it has been decided to cancel the tyre test planned on Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 on the Brazilian circuit with McLaren," said the Italian manufacturer.
"The decision, shared with McLaren, FIA and Formula 1, was made in the interest of the safety of the personnel, both McLaren’s and our own, who would have participated in the test."
"We have jointly decided with Pirelli to cancel this week's tyre test," added McLaren. "The safety of our people has always been our top priority, and, given recent events, we felt that it was an unnecessary risk to proceed."
Over the course of the weekend, crews from Mercedes, Sauber, Williams, Pirelli and even the FIA were subject to attacks, the most serious being that on the German team which saw a gun put to the head of a team member before robbing him and his associates of money, jewellery, passports and phones.
Being the final dedicated tyre test of the year, before the scheduled two-day event post Abu Dhabi will be a blow to both Pirelli and McLaren and it remains to be seen if the test will be rescheduled.
However, in the wake of the number of attacks over the weekend, despite the promise of increased security following Friday's attack on Mercedes, the very future of F1 at Interlagos must be in question.