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Hamilton and Bottas struggling with Pirelli tyres

10:11, 07 Mar 2018

byMatt

Silver Arrow drivers Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have reported that this seasons Pirelli tyres have been very difficult to manage during pre-season testing.

The pair both took turns in the W09 yesterday, with Bottas circulating the track 86 times, whilst Hamilton contributed 91 laps to the Mercedes total.

The drivers have not yet found the best way to heat up the medium compound tyres, and have suffered from too much tyre degradation whilst using the soft compound. Hamilton and Bottas both experienced tyre blistering.

Hamilton reported this to the media saying: “The biggest challenge we faced today was to get the tyres working properly on this new track surface.”

“The medium tyre was difficult to get working, the soft tyre is better for warm-up but suffered with degradation. We’re learning all the time.''

“It’s been a good day. We got through everything we needed and put good milage on the car, its been productive.”

Bottas added to the World Champions tyre comment saying: “In these weather conditions, we start to really work the tyres and we had a few issues to manage. So we had a few more challenges with the tyres than we had last week, but at least they can now warm-up.”

“We keep discovering more about the new car, learning how it reacts to different settings. We did more than 80 laps so more than a race distance, a really good milage.”

The Mercedes pair will once again split the day between them.

The the suggestion of struggling tyres comes after boss Toto Wolff suggested that title rivals Red Bull and Ferrari are much closer so far during this yers pre-season testing.

Wolff said: “What we have seen is that even if it is best case we are not in front by a lot, and if it is a worst case, we are not far behind.”

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen replied to these comments saying: “We'll find out in Melbourne. It’s too early and I don’t want to talk about it.”