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Teams to test 2013 compounds in Brazil

Sam Michael admits the testing opportunity will be "critical" for the teams © Sutton Images

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Pirelli will supply the teams with two sets of the 2013-specification tyres during Friday practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Tyres have been a crucial factor in this year's world championship, with the rapidly degrading Pirellis working in a narrow operating window at each circuit. For next season, the tyres are to be made more consistent, but the resulting change in their structure will make them react differently under load and therefore it is crucial teams can test them ahead of finalising their 2013 cars.

McLaren sporting director Sam Michael admits that the opportunity to test the tyres is "critical" in case designs on the new car need to be altered as a result, with any disruption possibly leaving the teams three months behind schedule in some areas.

"Extremely; it's very important because that's the only opportunity before February and they are different casings front and rear so that will be the only point that we get that data," Michael said. "So if we turn up in Brazil and it rains on Friday then that's it. It's like everything in life though isn't it? We're engineers so we try and dissect and analyse everything so we don't get surprises in three months time.

"If no-one gets any data then you do what you do, you just adapt and react in February. But it is correct that that's a pretty important test before the winter, because if it changes something fundamentally on the car that you suddenly need to change designs for; that's what is critical when you change tyre casings."

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