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18-inch tyre testing between Pirelli and Renault to take place in September

18-inch tyre testing between Pirelli and Renault to take place in September

12-06-2019 15:20
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Bobby Vincent

Pirelli boss Mario Isola has announced the tyre manufacturer's plans for the new 18-inch tyres will be brought to Formula 1 in 2021.

Formula 1 will introduce new and bigger tyres in 2021, with the current specification being 13-inch in diameter, with a further five inches to be added to the wheels.

Renault will now take part in a test in France at the Paul Ricard Circuit in September. McLaren will also take part in a test a couple of months later and Mercedes in December.

"(All the tests are planned as) dry sessions for the moment," Isola said to FormulaSpy. "We will start soon to make a plan for 2020, where we have 25 days of testing to distribute to the teams that are willing to test 18-inch tyres."

Pirelli will introduce the same size tyres in Formula 2 the season before its introduction to F1, in preparation for the change in 2021.

"We did just one shakedown in Mugello, but it was really a shakedown to understand the driveability of the car with an 18-inch tyre," the Pirelli boss added. "Don't forget that the F2 car is without power-steering, so the first target was to understand if they need to adapt the car, and if how to adapt the car with the new tyres.

"And we are going to test in Aragon in mid-June, so in one week's time. We made a plan with F2 where at the moment we have eight sessions already planned. Obviously we have to concentrate the development this year to be ready latest in December."