Formula 1 tire supplier Pirelli is "hopeful it is on course" to deliver the more "raceable" tires demanded for '17, according to Andrew Benson of the BBC. The FIA has requested tires that "allow drivers to push to the limit for the first time in years." Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner said that the latest prototypes "looked like a good step forward." Pirelli Racing Manager Mario Isola said, "We feel we're on the proper way for compounds and technology, even if we still have a big job ahead." Red Bull reserve driver Pierre Gasly said that the tires he ran "were greatly improved in allowing a driver to push hard for a significant number of laps." That is in contrast to the tires Pirelli has supplied to F1 since '11, which "require drivers to lap at least a second off the pace during races to prevent them overheating and irreversibly losing grip." There has also been a "dispute over whether pre-season testing should be held in Bahrain, as Pirelli wanted, or in Spain, as most teams preferred." Pirelli has also been concerned that the "mule" cars used for the tests -- '15 cars modified in an attempt to replicate the effect of the new rules for next year -- "are not fast enough" (BBC, 10/31).
