Pirelli has recommenced testing of its new 18-inch wheels ahead of their introduction in 2022.
The new lower-profile tyres are part of the complete overhaul in car design which was delayed by a year due to Covid-19 last year.
Though some initial testing with teams did take place last year, all development work on the new tyres was also halted by the virus.
And after seeing the planned 23-race calendar for 2021, Pirelli chief Mario Isola voiced concerns about the busy schedule.
“It will be very difficult to fit the 25 days of testing in next year’s calendar,” he told Motorsport.com last year.
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“We know for sure that we are going to start the season with Covid restrictions still in place.
“As soon as there is a draft of the calendar, we will try to put some days in it. One option for example is to try and use as much as possible the Tuesday and Wednesday after events, so staying on the same track. This minimises the movement of the teams.
“We also have to consider that quarantine will still be in place, moving from one country to another, this kind of stuff.
“So we will try to do a clever and flexible plan for testing, but it is clear that without testing, we cannot introduce the 18-inch tyres, so we have to find a solution.
“It’s not easy, but we will do our best, but together with the teams we will try to introduce a calendar for these criteria.”
Earlier this month, however, it was unanimously agreed to give Pirelli 30 days of testing in 2021, five more than previously expected, with each team supplying a mule car.
And on Monday, Ferrari and Charles Leclerc joined the Italian supplier at Jerez to begin a two-day test, with the Monegasque putting in 110 laps on the 18-inch intermediate tyres in damp conditions.
Our #Fit4F1 18-inch testing campaign is underway with @Charles_Leclerc and @ScuderiaFerrari. 110 laps completed at @circuitodejerez
in Spain today with prototype intermediate tyres for 2022. And we’re back for more tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/uQ9Of23DwO— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) February 22, 2021
As for the upcoming season, last week, Pirelli revealed their compound selections for every planned race in 2021.
“Announcing all the selections for the year right now will help the teams and the drivers with their planning, also allowing for maximum flexibility just in case the calendar has to change due to Covid-19 restrictions, as we saw last year,” Isola explained.
“The selections themselves are on the whole similar to last year (or 2019, in the case of races not run in 2020), which means that teams should have plenty of data to fall back on – but we have two races where the nominations are softer.
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