Following the conclusion of the British Grand Prix weekend, part of the Formula 1 grid remained at Silverstone for the opening day of Pirelli’s tyre test, which took place on Tuesday, July 7. The Milan-based manufacturer is using the two-day test to finalize the construction of its dry-weather tyres for next season, working against the clock ahead of the September 1 deadline, when the technical specifications will be officially frozen under the regulations.
Weather conditions at Silverstone provided ideal circumstances for evaluating the latest tyre constructions. Air temperatures reached a high of 31°C, while track temperatures climbed to 46°C, giving Pirelli’s engineers an excellent opportunity to push the prototypes to their limits.
The test programme began with a series of screening runs during the morning, allowing engineers to gather initial comparative data before switching their focus in the afternoon to the most promising tyre constructions through a number of long-run simulations designed to evaluate performance and durability over extended distances.
Russell completes over 600 km as Williams encounters technical trouble
George Russell, driving for Mercedes, and Carlos Sainz, representing Williams, were the two drivers tasked with supporting Pirelli’s development programme on the opening day.
Russell completed an intensive schedule, covering an impressive 113 laps for a total of 665 kilometres. The British driver, who finished second in Sunday’s British Grand Prix, also set the fastest time of the session with a lap of 1:30.695.
For comparison, Kimi Antonelli had secured pole position for the British Grand Prix with a lap of 1:28.111, while the Italian also recorded the fastest lap during Sunday’s race with a 1:31.777 on lap 37.
It proved to be a far more difficult day for the Williams driver. Carlos Sainz completed 61 laps, covering a total of 359 kilometres, and posted a personal best time of 1:33.576 before his programme was brought to an early end.
A technical problem on the Williams prevented Sainz from completing the full afternoon schedule, forcing the Grove-based team to cut short its planned testing programme.
Antonelli and Albon take over on day two
The Silverstone test will continue tomorrow with both teams rotating their drivers. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will take over driving duties for Mercedes, while Alex Albon will be behind the wheel for Williams as Pirelli continues gathering crucial data ahead of the introduction of its 2027 tyre specifications.
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