Pirelli tyres to be same for F1 and GP2 in 2011

The tyres supplied to formula one teams next year will be in substantially the same specification as the ones raced in GP2, it has emerged.

Nick Heidfeld on Wednesday completed a two-day test at the wheel of an unbranded Toyota TF109; billed as the first outing for new F1 supplier Pirelli’s 2011 prototypes.

But it has emerged that the tyres were in fact first tested on a Dallara GP2 car recently.

The GP2 test in July, which took place at Paul Ricard, passed without much attention because it was not believed it had any connection with Pirelli’s new F1 foray.

Alongside Heidfeld at Mugello this week was Ben Hanley, a British driver who has been at the wheel of a 2011-specification GP2 car, also shod with Pirelli’s prototype tyres.

“We are on target and we come away from this test with lots of data to analyse, which is exactly the situation we hoped to be in,” said Pirelli’s motor racing boss Paul Hembery.

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