Bottas happy with knowledge gained from Pirelli test

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Valtteri Bottas was happy with his day of running in Abu Dhabi yesterday as the Finn acquired knowledge about Pirelli's new range of tyres for next year.

Teams put the Italian manufacturer's 2018 compounds through their paces during the two-day test at Yas Marina, and sampled for the first time Pirelli's new pink-rimmed hypersoft tyre as well as its orange superhard rubber.

"It was a really interesting day, trying out the new Pirellis and discovering the differences between this year's and next year's tyres," said Bottas.

"I could really feel the differences and it was nice to get the feel now rather than next year.

"We tested all kinds of compounds and learned a lot out of all of them. I myself learned a great deal about the driving style with these new tyres."

Hamilton: 'Hypersoft the best F1 tyre produced by Pirelli'

Last Sunday's Abu Dhabi GP winner echoed Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton's opinion that the hypersoft is the best tyre ever produced by Pirelli.

The new compound proved to be around a second quicker around Yas Marina than the ultrasoft, according to Pirelli's Mario Isola.

"The characteristics of the Yas Marina Circuit meant the test concentrated on the compounds from White Medium to the Pink Hyper Soft," commented Isola.

"The whole test and all the drivers gave us very positive feedback.

"The new Pink Hyper Soft meets our initial expectations, with times that are about a second per lap faster than the Purple Ultra Soft, but this obviously needs to be confirmed on other types of track as well.

"All the 2018 tyres are a step softer than this year's equivalents, in line with what the teams asked for, with the Pink Hyper Soft being two steps softer than the 2017 Ultra Soft."

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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.