DTM test: new Pirelli tyres fail

Test at Le Castellet

The first test with the Pirelli tyres specially developed for DTM did not go as planned. During the two-day test on 26 and 27 November in Le Castellet, seven manufacturers tried out two prototype tyres. This quickly caused considerable unrest among the teams.

The core of the problem was severe wear and tear and so-called graining. Mercedes-AMG drivers had to abort their long runs after about eight laps because the tyres became unusable. Other brands, including the Emil Frey Ferrari team, saw the same trend.

Some cars saw their lap times drop significantly in short bursts: one Ferrari lost up to eight seconds in nine laps on one run, while another run showed a loss of four seconds in ten laps. On some tyres, the surface cracked due to overheating.