Pirelli to try prototype hard tyres again in British GP practice

Teams got to try the prototype rubber for the first time during Friday practice for the Spanish Grand Prix, but the session was hit by rain and no significant running was done.

The tyres, closer in characteristics to the 2012 rubber, will available for both practice sessions on Friday at Silverstone.

"This is in order to give the teams the chance to test this new compound on a different track to collect more data," said Pirelli's Paul Hembery.

Although the company has ruled out racing the modified Kevlar-belted tyres before the Belgian GP after failing to get unanimous support from all teams, Pirelli said they will be on standby for the future.

Pirelli opted for a different bonding process to cure the delamination issues suffered this year when it had to shelve plans to race the new tyres.

The Italian firm is taking the hard and medium compounds to Silverstone this weekend.

Hembery admitted that even with the conservative choice, fans were likely to see multiple pitstops in Sunday's race.

"Last year we saw a two-stop strategy in dry conditions after two wet days but this year the compounds are softer, so if it stays dry we could have between three and four stops," he said.

"We should be in a position to make a more precise forecast after free practice."