Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing – “Conditions were cold and unrepresentative throughout the first test, especially on Wednesday, where the running was practically zero following snowy weather.
Having said that, on the first day the fastest times were already faster than those set on the same compound during the equivalent test last year, while on the second day the fastest time beat the overall fastest time from the same test in 2017. This is down to a number of factors, also including the new smoother track surface that was laid recently, as well as the natural performance evolution of the 2018 cars.
Teams tried out a wide range of the new tyres, including the 2018 Pink hypersoft as well as intermediate and wet tyres in both base and soft versions. Conditions on Thursday also made it possible to assess the crossover points from wets to intermediates to slicks, which is important information.
While it is hard to draw any firm conclusions from this particular test, the behavior of the tyres demonstrates a general increase in performance that is line with our expectations. Next week, we’re expecting warmer weather in Barcelona that should result in increased on-track action and better data to deliver more definitive conclusions.”
