Japanese GP: FP2 extended for Pirelli test at Suzuka
4th October 2022Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix weekend will grant viewers, and spectators, with extended running this weekend as Pirelli look to test the 2023 tyre compounds.
F1 will revert back to its former 90-minute run, for free practice two in the Japanese GP weekend, extending the session by half-an-hour to allow Pirelli to test their 2023 tyres.
Suzuka will be the first venue, during a F1 weekend, where the sole-tyre brand will be able to get some real data from all of the teams, ahead of their second test in Austin – for the 2022 United States Grand Prix.
The tyre brand reportedly began tests into their 2023 compounds back in Imola, for an in-season private test day, when the likes of Alfa Romeo, Alpine, Alpha Tauri and Ferrari stayed behind after the 2022 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Ahead of the F1 weekend, in Pirelli’s 2022 Japanese GP preview, the tyre brand’s Motorsport Director, Mario Isola said:
“There’s a roughly equal number of left and right corners in the unique figure of eight layout, which means that the circuit demands are evenly balanced.
“The sustained energy loads through the tyres are some of the highest we register all year, and the track layout means that we bring the three hardest compounds in our range because of the high levels of tyre duty. With the latest generation of cars being heavier than before and the limits of performance constantly being pushed, that challenge is bigger than ever now.
“An innovation for this year is the fact that we will be testing some 2023 prototype tyres during an extended free practice session on Friday afternoon, as we finalise the specification for next year with the end of this season approaching.”
These tests will allow Pirelli to ‘fine-tune’ the compounds for 2023 with the extended-session being devoted to tyre testing.
It’s stated, if a team runs a young driver for FP1, the said team will be able to run their own programme for 30-minutes – at the beginning of FP2 – before they are required to focus on tyre testing for the remainder of the session.
For both spectators and viewers, the new prototypes can be easily recognised as the tyres will not use any coloured markings on the sidewalls.
Besides the tyre tests, Pirelli are set to bring their hardest three compounds to Japan for the race weekend. Pirelli’s C1, hard compound tyre will make its final outing this season ahead of the C2 and C3, Medium and Soft compound tyres respectively
That’s it for the article; Japanese GP: FP2 extended for Pirelli test! Are you looking forward to the extended session? Let us know in the comments!
Read more Formula 1 here:
- Sergio Perez retains Singapore GP win after five-second post-race penalty
- Singapore GP: Perez wins despite pending investigation
- Singapore GP: Leclerc on pole while Verstappen is ordered to pit
- Singapore GP: Leclerc tops FP3 after weather delay
- Singapore GP: Sainz leads 1-2 finish in FP2
To keep up to date with the latest news from Apex Motorsports, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
