Pirelli says it will need to wait until after the first few races of the 2017 Formula 1 season to know for definite if its new wider tyres have hit their targets for the new generation of cars. Despite an extensive testing programme conducted with Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes mule cars last year, F1’s tyre supplier admits that there are still some question marks on the eve of this season. That has come about because the modified cars – aimed at simulating the downforce levels coming for this year – did not produce the kind of forces that the 2017 challengers are set to bring. Pirelli’s F1 racing manager Mario Isola had been clear for a while that the mule cars were a bit behind,...
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