Isola: 'It is still difficult to determine the differences in performance'

It is not only for the Formula 1 teams that the test weeks are exciting, as it is also the beginning of a new era for tire supplier Pirelli. Pirelli boss Mario Isola says the Italians have gathered useful information about the new tires.

For Pirelli, the test weeks were at least as exciting as for the teams. In 2022, Formula 1 will run with 18-inch wheels for the first time, which means the tire is a lot thinner and the wheels are bigger than previous years.

Isola let it be known that Pirelli gathered a lot of useful information in Bahrain. Most of the information came in especially on the last day, as the Italian says the first two days in Bahrain were not very representative due to the hot weather. On the Pirelli website Isola lets us know that the third day was much more interesting because of milder temperatures and improved set-ups from the teams.

However, the tire expert does admit that the results were a bit different from expectations. "It's still difficult to determine the differences in performance between the tires, but they seem to be slightly larger than we initially thought, with a similar time difference between each compound."