Pirelli explain 'danger' avoided by wet Barcelona running

Pirelli motorsport boss Mario Isola has explained the F1 tyre supplier needed evidence there was no 'dangerous gap' between its wet and dry weather compounds after the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was made artificially wet.

F1 is racing to an all-new set of technical regulations this season and despite Pirelli testing its 2022 tyres on mule cars last year, the manufacturer needed confirmation of certain safety margins.

Specifically, the information required related to the crossover between the wet and dry tyres and this led Pirelli to request that the Spanish track surface be made artificially wet on Friday.

"That was an opportunity that we decided to give to the teams because I feel that with such a big change with the tyres and the car, it was not right to face the first wet conditions without having tested the wet or the intermediate first," explained Isola.

"So we asked the circuit to use as many tanks as they had, they had six. So in one hour they put down as much water as they could and we had something similar to full wet conditions.

"Also, to evaluate the crossover time between wet and intermediate and intermediate to slick. The crossover time is really important to be sure that there is an overlay between two products and not a gap.

"A gap is dangerous, you don't have any tyres that is suitable for that condition and we want to avoid that."

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