Hulkenberg: Only race conditions will put wet tyres to the task

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Renault's Nico Hulkenberg believes only true race conditions will put Pirelli's new wet tyres through the ultimate test.

Today's running has teams running through the Italian manufacturer's Cinturato intermediate and full wet tyres on an artificially soaked Circuit de Catalunya.

Hulkenberg confirmed teams were cautious running their new cars, limiting the ability to fully judge Pirelli's compounds.

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"Obviously early in the season it’s a bit of a risk with teams, we don’t have that many spare parts," explained the German driver.

"There’s always a balance to be had. I went out once on full wets, once on inters, just to see how it goes and get a basic idea. It worked fine, to be honest.

"But we couldn’t really test very deeply regarding aquaplaning and all these kinds of subjects, we’ll find that out during the race weekend I guess."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.