Pirelli Motorsport boss Mario Isola says that the performance of the new-for-2019 Formula 1 cars has come as a surprise to the tyre supplier over the course of winter testing. The annual eight-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya gave teams their first proper taste of Pirelli's revised tyre line-up for 2019, labelled C1 (hardest) through to C5 (softest). The test's fastest lap was set on the final day by Scuderia Ferrari‘s Sebastian Vettel, with a time of a 1 minute 16.221 seconds, 0.961 seconds quicker than the fastest lap seen in 2018 winter testing – also by Vettel. A matured surface, following the track's resurfacing prior to 2018, and warmer temperatures in...
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