By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli look set to announce the identify of the racing driver who will be testing its Formula One tyres.

Media reports have already linked Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld with the role of helping the Italian tyres manufacturer to prepare for the 2011 season, according to PaddockTalk, a leading online racing website.

It is believed Pirelli will conduct six tests before all the teams try the tyres for the first time in Abu Dhabi in mid November.

A spokesman for Pirelli’s F1 programme said this pre-Abu Dhabi testing, reportedly with a 2009 Toyota car, will not begin until “about September”.

“At the moment, we have produced the first scale models of the tyres, at 50 per cent size, for the purposes of wind tunnel testing,” he said.

“The four compounds are currently being worked upon, with the prototypes scheduled to come out next month.

“There was a test that took place at Paul Ricard in France recently, but that was for GP2 tyres. There, we completed more than 120 laps with no problems.”

As for a driver for the F1 tests, the spokesman said an announcement can be expected “either next week or the week after”.

He said “two permanent test drivers” will be appointed, “one for F1 and one for GP2″.

“Details of the F1 car we will be testing with” will also be provided, the Pirelli spokesman added.

By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli has started testing its prototype tyres for the 2011 Formula One season, according to news reports.

The Italian tyres manufacturer, which is taking over from Bridgestone as the sole tyre supplier to the sport at the end of the current season, has run a prototype version of its new tyre for the first time in France.

Paul Hembery, motorsport director for Pirelli, told Manipe F1: “We’ve started some initial testing on a GP2 car and had the first runs at Paul Ricard. It was very successful and we’re very happy with the performance of the product for the first test.”

Hembery refused to be drawn on the identity of the driver who carried out the test, however, he did reveal that the company should know soon which car it will use to carry out further testing of its new tyre, with the 2009 Toyota having been mentioned as one possible option.

Current teams will have to wait until the end of the season to sample the new tyres for the first time.

The narrower front tyres introduced to Formula One this season, are apparently being blamed for Formula One racing legend Michael Schumacher’s disappointing return to the sport.

The seven times world champion - admitted he’s not at the level he wants, partly because he’s unable to get the maximum out of the new narrower front tyres.

Apparently, the 2010 cars don’t suit the Mercedes driver’s more aggressive style of driving, where he prefers to turn in to a corner with massive front grip. Currently he’s not finding the downforce he needs. He’s losing out particularly in the slower corners, which require precision and technique under these new conditions.

Ross Brawn, his Mercedes team principal, has told BBC Sport: “He’s having to get used to feeling a tyre, controlling a tyre and finding the best way to get lap times from a tyre. He’s finding it pretty challenging and we’re not getting the results we expect.”

While another team source has told Jonathan Legard, the BBC’s Formula 1 commentator, that Schumacher can’t overload the tyres like he used to. It means he ends up fighting the car and over-driving to make up time which he can see he’s losing to his team-mate.

But with Schumacher revealing he is committed to racing for Mercedes in 2011, Legard adds that it may be the team will produce a more competitive car for 2011 and Pirelli, which takes over from Bridgestone, will produce tyres that Schumacher understands better.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Alex Kapadia

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has called on Pirelli to introduce tyres that wear out quickly in a bid to inject more excitement into the sport.

The Italian manufacturer is set to take over from Bridgestone as F1′s sole tyres supplier at the end of the season.

And the hope is that Pirelli will introduce various compounds which will be subject to excessive wear and thus create more excitement.

Ecclestone supports the idea and has even put forward his own proposals for next year’s tyre.

“People want more overtaking,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“I have a proposal: tyre sets that can be used for a maximum of 100 kilometres, with the one used in qualifying to be used in the first part of the race.

“This way we’d have more tyre changes at different times and there would be more confusion. The best races are the messy ones.”

By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli tyres are reported to be seriously considering racing ace Kimi Raikkonen to test its new tyres for Formula One.

It has emerged that the Italian company will supply two sets of tyres to each team at a special Abu Dhabi test immediately after November’s season finale.

However, Pirelli is also keen to do some testing before then, and - after initially running with a GP2 car - is considering using either an old BMW or Toyota car.

As for the driver, Nick Heidfeld had been touted, but this might have handed an unfair advantage to Mercedes.

According to Finland’s Turun Sanomat, Pirelli’s racing boss Paul Hembery proposed in Valencia that Finn racer Raikkonen could be an option.

The 2007 world champion left Ferrari at the end of last year and currently drives full-time in the Pirelli-shod world rally championship.

His manager Steve Robertson said: “Currently, Kimi is totally focused on what he is doing.

“But if Pirelli approaches us, of course we will discuss it. Then, it would depend on whether Kimi is interested in this sort of challenge, and how it would fit into his schedule,” he added.

By Alex Kapadia

Michelin tyres has admitted it is “disappointed” with the decision by Formula One to snub its proposal to return to the sport in 2011.

The French tyres manufacturer has revealed that although it did not lodge an official application, it did engage in detailed initial negotiations with teams, FOM and the FIA about replacing the departing Bridgestone for the start of the 2011 season.

Michelin had been asking for key rule changes, including the scrapping of the single tyre supplier policy, and, as revealed by the company’s motorsport chief Nick Shorrock, measures to demonstrate “respect for the environment”.

However, Formula 1 awarded the contract to Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli and there will be no changes to the rules.

FOTA has announced a carbon emissions reduction programme, with a focus on the fuel efficiency of the engines in 2013.

But Shorrock told France’s Auto Hebdo that he is not impressed with the direction of Formula One.

“We are disappointed not to see motor sport lead the evolution of our society,” he said.

By Alex Kapadia

The arrival of Pirelli tyres on the Formula One scene is also having a positive knock-on effect for GP2 teams.

They have welcomed the announcement that the series will race on Formula One tyres for the first time next season when Pirelli takes over as supplier.

Under the new three-year deal with the Italian tyres manufacturer, GP2 will run its entire season on one of the harder compounds which are being offered to the F1 teams

Up until now, the teams have used a bespoke Bridgestone Potenza.

The change will also mark a switch to F1-style narrower front tyres, and will coincide with the introduction of the new-generation GP2/11 car.

It comes as part of an ongoing push by the series to retain as many links to F1 as possible - and iSport team boss Paul Jackson says it will make GP2 even more important for drivers trying to prepare for F1.

“The change will keep the relevance for the drivers coming out of here into F1,” Jackson told this week’s Autosport magazine.

“They’re used to the tyre, which is a big factor. So I think it will be a really good situation.”

This week’s Autosport magazine contains full analysis of how the arrival of Pirelli will affect both F1 and GP2, plus the latest news on the other changes to GP2 for 2011.

Pirelli is estimated to be spending more than £46 million a year over the next three years to fund its new contract to supply Formula One with tyres.

The Italian tyres manufacturer fought hard to win the race to become the new sole tyre supplier for the sport, taking over from Bridgestone whose contract runs out at the end of the 2010 season.

And, according to a report in Tyres and Accessories, it is going to be a costly venture.

The magazine reports: “Deutsche Bank analysts have estimated Pirelli’s investment in Formula One sole tyre supply between 2011 and 2013 as being US$70 million per season.

“This annual sum, which may represent a figure at the conservative end of the spectrum, is seen by the bank as positive news for shareholders as it should improve brand equity without affecting profit and loss.

“As Tyres & Accessories has already reported, Pirelli intends to finance its F1 activities at least in part by reducing its expenditure in other motorsport sponsorship, including WRC.

Alex Kapadia, Operations Team

By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli has announced that it will take an “aggresive” approach towards the tyres it provides to the Formula One teams starting from next season.

The Italian tyres manufacturer, which takes over from Bridgestone as the sole supplier to the sport from 2011 to 2013, confirmed it will strive to achieve the level of excitement seen at the Canadian race.

The F1 outing at Montreal was one of the most spectacular this season due to Bridgestone supplying tyres with a different composition.

Now Pirelli want to continue this pattern next season.

Paul Hember, director of motorsport for Pirelli, said: “We are going to try and be aggressive – provide one ‘safe’ option and then an aggressive one to try and create the show.

“The fans, I am sure, are keen for that, and I have to say that the comments from the teams after Canada were that they actually enjoyed it.

“The team principals I have spoken to said that that was good fun. It might not have produced the result they all wanted, but it added to the strategy of the event.”

He added: “We want to participate with the sport and make the show, and Canada was a good example of what you can do if you provide an extreme solution.

“From a tyre maker’s point of view, you wonder if the public perceive that as a bad tyre, but in the end that is about communication. As long as we communicate it well, the drivers understand it and don’t start talking about bad tyres – and understand that it is part of the show – then it will be fine.

“I think all of them after Canada will probably agree they had more fun in that scenario than they probably would have done in a processional race. Certainly from a fans’ point of view it was fantastic.”

By Alex Kapadia

Pirelli has created a ‘Formula One Team’ who will work exclusively on the development and production of tyres for what it describes as “the highest level of global motorsport.”

The Italian tyres manufacturer revealed that the team will be based at Pirelli’s Research Centre in Milan and the tyres will be produced at its Izmit factory in Turkey, which is where its other competition tyres are currently manufactured.

The team will be made up of engineers and researchers who have accumulated experience at the highest levels of motorsport: creating winning products for the world rally championship (WRC), Superbike, the Rolex Sports Car Series in North America and GT racing, as well as various one-make series.

In order to meet the F1 teams’ requirements in terms of reliability, safety and performance, Pirelli’s engineers are already working on simulation models and tyre compounds that will be most suited to the demands of F1 racing.

The company also notes that, in co-operation with the teams, it is also ready to develop technical evolutions to the current tyres for the future, “regarding in particular the wheel size.”

The announcement follows the confirmation from the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the teams, represented by the Formula One Teams Association, and Formula One’s organising body, represented by Formula One Management, that Pirelli will be the exclusive tyre supplier for Formula One teams between 2011-13, inclusive.

Pirelli are contracted to develop six different types of tyre for the whole season. Four of these will be slick tyres – with different compounds to suit various dry asphalt surfaces – and one will be a rain tyre, for heavy precipitation. Finally there will be an intermediate tyre, for damp conditions and light rain.