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Pirelli to test more robust tyres at Spa

Pirelli will test more robust prototype tyres designed to be able to withstand contact during Friday practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

While work is ongoing to prepare the 2017 tyres, Pirelli is still developing this year's tyres and wants to be able to protect against "multiple impacts" with other cars or kerbs. The prototype tyres will be used in both Friday practice sessions before having to be handed back to Pirelli.

"During FP1 and FP2 tomorrow we will test some prototype unmarked tyres modified to even further protect the tyre from possible consequences generated by accidental multiple impacts on kerbs or other external bodies," a Pirelli spokesman said.

Each driver will receive two sets of the prototype tyres, with Pirelli working closely with the teams for the tests.

The move comes after incidents of tyre failures, with certain kerb designs having an impact. During practice for last year's Belgian Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg suffered a spectacular tyre failure, with Pirelli's investigations showing the failure to have been caused by a cut.

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel also suffered a tyre failure at this year's Austrian Grand Prix, which Pirelli attributed to debris.

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.