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Pirelli demands more testing by threatening to quit F1

ESPN Staff
October 25, 2013 « Marussia secures Formula One future | Magnussen setting his sights on top F1 teams »
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Pirelli says it will not be able to continue in the sport next year unless it is granted more testing ahead of the 2014 season.

Next year will see the introduction of new engines and Energy Recovery Systems as well as several chassis tweaks that will significantly change the demands on the tyres. Pirelli has struggled to agree private tests with the teams this season ever since the controversial private test with Mercedes, and has received criticism after a number of high-profile failures.

Since the Mercedes test it has been restricted to using 2011 cars at tyre tests, but want to use the most up-to-date machinery it can. The teams' 2014 cars will not be ready to test until the first group session at the end of January, but Pirelli has stressed that it needs more testing time before in order to offer a satisfactory tyre to the grid at the start of the season.

"We'd like some common sense, that's what we'd like," Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery said. "We have to do some testing if we can, otherwise we won't be able to provide the tyres next year."

Asked whether any progress was being made towards agreeing future tests, he said: "It's still 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 out, 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."

Although testing with 2013 cars is not ideal, Hembery said it would be better than no testing at all.

"You can get relative levels [of data], 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."

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