Pirelli has chosen to conduct a wet tyre Formula 1 test in Bahrain for the first time at the end of February.
The decision to stage a wet tyre test in one of the hottest and driest countries F1 visits has certainly raised eyebrows, but there is logic to Pirelli’s thinking.
F1’s sole tyre supplier selected Bahrain after evaluating how best to conduct a test to work on improving the wet tyres that have been heavily criticised by drivers in recent years.
While venues such as Fiorano, Paul Ricard and Magny-Cours would on paper be better suited due to having the ability to artificially soak tracks using their own sprinkler systems, they don’t offer the high-degradation Pirelli is seeking.
The Bahrain International Circuit, although not equipped with a sprinkler system, offers a notoriously abrasive track that is demanding on the tyres.
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Pirelli thinks this will provide ideal circumstances in which to stress-test its rubber.
“We are trying to organise a wet [test] here in Bahrain,” Pirelli motorsport chief Mario Isola explained during the opening F1 pre-season test in Bahrain.
“I am very confident because the track has an idea on how to wet the full circuit, not with the tanks but with another [sprinkler] system. And if they do that properly, we have an opportunity to test on a high-severity circuit in wet conditions.
“This is something that doesn’t happen very often. So we have this opportunity, we want to use it in the best possible way. I have to say that the people of Bahrain are always very cooperative when we ask for strange requests. I called them and said: ‘What if we plan a wet test in Bahrain? ‘Yes, of course you can. Let us think about it.’
“[It’s not easy, because] we need consistency in the water level, because clearly the risk is that the inconsistency in water level is more important than the difference in prototypes.”
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Bahrain is a unique choice for a wet weather test
Isola added: “We will have an opportunity to test on a high severity circuit in wet conditions.
“This is something that doesn’t happen very often. So we have this opportunity and we want to use it in the best possible way.”
F1’s full wet compound has been a particular source of debate as it is very rarely used and deemed unsuitable other than in extreme conditions that have usually led to track running being stopped.
Pirelli is determined to improve the full wet tyre so that it is more usable.
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“What we have tried to do is to reduce the crossover time between the wet and intermediate in order to make the wet tyre more usable,” Isola said.
“The point is that if you are in a race condition and the expectation is for the track to dry, they will put on an intermediate because they want to minimise the number of pitstops.”
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