Pirelli has started Formula 1’s first ever wet weather test at night, with the Italian company continuing to develop its tyres ahead of the 2011 season. Pedro de la Rosa drove Pirelli's test car (Toyota TF109) during the 12-hour night session, getting a first glimpse of wet conditions under a floodlit circuit.
Abu Dhabi has been artificially covered in water in an attempt create conditions that resemble a wet weather Grand Prix. It is the first test of its kind in single-seater history, with Pirelli deciding to test at night in order to avoid the hot day time temperatures.
“This is a unique opportunity to witness a Formula One test car on track at night in the wet and on hot tarmac, in an entirely floodlit setting," said Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembrey. "We decided to do it this way because we want to challenge our rain tyres with the most difficult and demanding of all situations. And who knows, perhaps it could be a good idea for a future grand prix?
“These tests will provide us with useful information to finalise our tyre development process for Formula One. It is seven months since we started developing our tyres and five since we started with the actual testing. We are very satisfied with the results so far and we have also collected very positive feedback from the teams.
“Soon it will be time to get started in Spain where the first official test of the season will take place. We will use this opportunity to gather more feedback from teams and drivers and be ready for the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.”
Pedro de la Rosa added to Hembrey’s words, and is not expecting any serious problems with the lights on the track surface during the test.
"This will be the first time I have run in a full wet test at night, probably nobody has done this before” he commented. "We did a sample run yesterday with the lights at about 50 per cent and the visibility was actually better than when it rains in daytime. We will have to see if this is better when the lights are up to 100 per cent today and tomorrow."
Series
Formula 1
Personalities
Pedro de la Rosa
Other
DTM Tickets (best price guarantee!) at Sportstadium.com
| Pedro de la Rosa | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
| More Pedro de la Rosa photos | |||
English
Nederlands
Español
Italiano
