Pirelli to test 2022 18-inch tyres with every F1 team except Williams

Pirelli has revealed nine of Formula 1's teams will test its new 18-inch tyres in preparation for their introduction next season.

All teams except Williams will be involved in the 28 days of testing in 2021 as Pirelli looks to fine-tune its new rubber.

Ferrari has already tested for Pirelli at Jerez last week, with the Scuderia and Alpine next in line to test again in Bahrain following the season-opener later this month.

Teams will test in both dry and wet conditions while running mule cars to give Pirelli the best data possible ahead of next season's regulation changes.

Mario Isola, Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing said: "We’re looking forward to resuming our tests for the new 18-inch tyres shortly, but as the COVID-19 pandemic – which led to the suspension of the test programme last year – is not yet over, it’s possible that our planned schedule for this year may have to be modified. 

"As a result, we have a back-up plan too. Nonetheless, we have put together a programme that should enable us to pick up solidly from where we left off in 2019 and finalise the specification for a new generation of tyre under fresh regulations that will give Formula 1 a very different look next year. 

"Many thanks to all the teams for their support in providing simulations and mule cars, giving us a good base to work from. We will be testing both our slick and wet prototype 18-inch tyres for 2022: we started already at Jerez in Spain for three days with Ferrari, and we will end up at France’s Magny-Cours circuit with Alpine in September.”

Pirelli’s 2021 Testing Programme: 

- Bahrain (March, 30-31 – April, 1)
Slick
Ferrari (day 1)
Alpine (day 2-3)

- Imola (April, 20-21)
Slick
Mercedes

- Barcelona (May, 11-12)
Slick
Alpine (day 1)
Red Bull, Alfa Romeo (day 1-2)

- Paul Ricard (May, 25-26)
Wet
Mercedes

- Spielberg (July, 6-7)
Slick
AlphaTauri

- Silverstone (July, 20-21)
Slick
Red Bull (day 1)
Aston Martin, Haas (day 1-2)

- Budapest (August, 3-4)
Slick
Mercedes, McLaren (day 1)
Ferrari, McLaren (day 2)

- Magny-Cours (September, 15-16)
Wet
Alpine