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Pirelli tips Silverstone as the big test for 2017 cars

Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery has suggested that Silverstone might be the best test of this year's new cars, following the introduction of major rule changes for 2017 affecting tyre performance and downforce.

“Silverstone is so quick and open and the corners are already big corners, it will be the one the drivers are excited about," said Hembery this week.

"Drivers are going to feel one extra G in the corners, 25mph quicker in some corners, flat out in six or seven corners at Silverstone, which will be the real event for the drivers."

Teams will sandbag out of the gate - Hembery

The major overhaul of technical regulations has been a big challenge for Pirelli in the run-up to the start of the 2017 season, but Hembery said that he's relished the task and that all the hard work will be worth it in the end.

“I am excited because it is a change, it is different and it is going to be more of a challenge for drivers, which they wanted."

However Hembery has also previously warned that this year's new regulations which include longer-lasting tyres may not end up producing the close racing fans might be expecting.

"If the performance of the cars is close together, then there might be chances – if they aren't then it will be a procession," he cautioned last month.

"I think we will know after five or six races what we have done and if it is right or wrong."

Pre-season testing is scheduled to get underway later this month at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain on February 27.

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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.