Pirelli wants Mercedes' Hamilton and Rosberg for 2017 F1 tyre tests
Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera hopes Mercedes will use race drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at some stage in its 2017 Formula 1 tyre testing
Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull are working with Pirelli as it develops next year's wider tyres, using modified 2015 F1 cars, with Ferrari having already enlisted Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
Reserve and Manor racer Pascal Wehrlein was in action for Mercedes for its first three days at Paul Ricard last week, while Red Bull turned to former Toro Rosso driver and Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi in August.
Pirelli made it clear from the outset it wanted to test with current race drivers, and while Wehrlein fits that bill, Tronchetti Provera hopes Mercedes moves on from Toto Wolff's view that "at the moment it's not planned they [Hamilton and Rosberg] make the test".
Suggested to Tronchetti Provera the teams agreed to provide race drivers, he replied: "It's wrong for them if they don't.
"Ferrari gave the best drivers and I think and hope all the rest will give them.
"The priority is to have the best pilot.
"The speed is changing, so the best pilots, they have to test it. They have the sensibility to understand the change [in the tyres]."
Mercedes has another five days of testing planned, along with six for Red Bull and four for Ferrari, and Rosberg says he wants "to wait until its really useful".
Tronchetti Provera acknowledged: "It's up to them, it's not yet in the agenda. I hope to see on the agenda, also their names."
Pirelli is at least relieved it has a proper test programme in place ahead of 2017's major changes, with the three teams running machinery modified to replicate the expected levels of downforce.
"[The tests] are key," Tronchetti Provera added.
"The kind of changes that are going on couldn't be reached without proper testing.
"We are talking about performances with cars improving four or five seconds per lap. It would be nonsense not to test it.
"Now we have the programme, we are doing it, and everything is fine."
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments