Mercedes, Ferrari and Pirelli resume 2017 tyre testing

The ongoing Pirelli's 2017 Formula 1 tyre testing programme resumed on Tuesday with Ferrari and Mercedes taking to the track to develop the prototype tyres at Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona and Paul Ricard in southern France respectively.

Manor (and Mercedes junior) driver Pascal Wehrlein was on duty in a modified Mercedes W06 at Paul Ricard while Ferrari's regular race driver Kimi Raikkonen took to the wheel of the SF15-T test car in Spain.

The wider tyres combine with increased downforce levels with the goal of greatly reducing lap times by as while making the cars more spectacular to watch and to drive.

Pirelli, who are tapping into the opinion of teams on a regular basis, is aiming to minimise the degradation of the 2017 tyres, a factor that has [plagued the sport's exclusive tyre manufacturer since 2011.

ESPN report that: "the goal is to produce a tyre that allows drivers to push throughout a grand prix distance while still having multiple pit stops during a race."

"Pirelli is also optimistic the wider contact patch will allow it to reduce the high tyre pressure prescriptions it has needed to introduce in the last two years as downforce levels have increased."

Pirelli boss Paul Hembery explained, "The tyre we have today we've had one test day in three years, so we're only really limited to what we have to play with and that's pressures. We've got 100kg load on each front wheel here compared to last year, 80 kg I think on the rear. With this year's tyres not much choice."

"Going forward of course, we have much larger tyres, so that gives you much more to work with and changes we can make structurally to bring the pressures down. But again, it will all depend on the loads.

"If the loads we've seen in simulation are exceeded or under then that will also play a part in either reducing pressures or increasing them. But at the moment, from initial testing, we will be seeing pressures more in line with what we've had in the past. It's all about the footprint ultimately and that's a function of vertical load."

These are the third and fourth of ten bespoke tests to develop the 2017 Pirelli tyres.