"If you look at the calendar, it's quite demanding" - Pirelli finds it difficult to find dates for tire tests amid 23-race-long 2022 F1 season

Pirelli is finding it difficult to find slots for its 2023 prototype tire testing amid a hectic 2022 F1 calendar that promises to be the largest in the sport’s history with a 23-race schedule.

According to Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola, the manufacturer is currently in discussions with the FIA and the teams to find a suitable slot to run the “crucial” tests. Speaking to the Motorsport Network following the Australian GP, Isola said:

“Because if you look at the calendar, it’s quite demanding, and you have a lot of back-to-backs, triple headers and overseas events where it’s difficult to ask a team to stay another couple of days after three races in a row for a Pirelli test, and maybe then travel straight to another race.”

The Italian then went on to add, saying:

“So we are trying to find solutions to have also some tests in the second half of the season. Because clearly, we need more tests to have different looks and develop the tyre, otherwise it’s too difficult, you cannot have just one test with everybody, and find the right product.”

Pirelli is required to bring a new set of tire compounds for each season, based on changing requirements. In-season testing is, therefore, crucial in helping the tire manufacturer develop suitable compounds for an upcoming F1 season. Without sufficient testing to iron out issues, new compounds could fail to meet minimum safety and performance requirements, forcing F1 to carry over an older set of compounds.

An extreme instance of such a scenario was played out in 2019 when teams rejected Pirelli’s 2020 spec tire and opted to keep the existing construction for the following season. This was later carried over for a further season in 2021 due to financial difficulties following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pirelli is allowed up to 25 days of testing, consisting of both dry and wet weather compounds for an upcoming season, under the regulations. These tests are usually conducted on the following week of a typical Grand Prix weekend. This season, given the tight schedule with a high number of double and triple headers, the Italian manufacturer has very few options to do so.

Currently, the only suitable dates available are in the weeks following the Emilia-Romagna GP, Austrian GP, and Hungarian GP. Two teams are required to provide their current generation machinery for a two-day test at each venue, bringing the total number of days to 12.

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Free Practice sessions on Grand Prix weekends being considered for 2023 F1 tire testing

Pirelli is considering using free practice sessions across a select few Grands Prix within the season to achieve the required testing mileage for its 2023 prototype tires due to a lack of available slots between races.

During such sessions, all teams are expected to participate in trying out the new tires, unlike during standalone tests. According to Isola, Pirelli is still discussing the prospect with the teams and the FIA. Speaking to Motorsport Network, he said:

“We are currently in discussion with the teams and the FIA to find a solution for the second part of the year. To rely on some Friday FP2 running later in the year in order to trial its prototype tyres for next season.”

The radical regulation changes this season mean teams are always learning new things about the new machinery and finding ever more performance. The biggest impact of that will be on the tires. Consequently, Pirelli will need to catch up to the ever-increasing performance of the cars and develop new tires that are able to cope better.