F1 teams get first taste new tyres

This year’s F1 teams get their first taste of Pirelli’s 2013 Formula One tyres at the opening official test of the year at Jerez in southern Spain, which takes place February 5-8.

Although the teams already had the chance to sample the new construction during free practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix last year, this will be the first time that they try out the complete new tyre range, together with the latest-specification compounds.

The key characteristics that the teams will notice about the 2013 tyres are a bigger performance gap between the compounds and faster overall lap times, by approximately half a second per lap.

There is also a brand new colour: P Zero Orange hard, which replaces silver as the designation for the hardest tyre in the range. New markings should also make the colours easier to distinguish.