Pirelli brings two-day tyre test at Jerez to an end
Following test outings at Paul Ricard and Barcelona, Pirelli completed its third test session of 2025 at the Angel Nieto circuit in Jerez de la Frontera in southern Spain.
Similar to the Barcelona test session, testing centred on development of the 2026 tyres, which will maintain the current 18” diameter, while being slightly narrower, by 25 millimetres at the front and 30 at the rear. This session followed on from those at Le Castellet in January and in Barcelona last week. These two days focussed on a comparison of several different constructions and compounds.
Three teams were on track: the Enstone-based Alpine ran both days. On the first day, Pierre Gasly was behind the wheel of the mule car based on the Alpine A523, sharing the track with IndyCar driver Pato O'Ward, who piloted a modified McLaren.
The second day of testing saw Australian Jack Doohan rack up laps in the Alpine. McLaren left the venue after the first day, replaced by Mercedes. George Russell was at the wheel of a W15, the car he drove last season, adapted to fit the new dimension of tyre.
A total of 248 laps were completed, split as follows: 113 for Doohan and 135 for Russell. The two teams ran different programmes so their performance cannot be compared, but for the record, the Australian’s best lap time was a 1’17’’255 and the Englishman posted a 1’17’976.
Commenting on the two-day dry weather testing, Pirelli's motorsport director Mario Isola noted: "Yet another good test in the early days of 2025, thanks to the vital collaboration of the three teams involved.
"In addition to the data gathered in Paul Ricard and the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit, we now have a great deal of very important information from the Jerez circuit.
"Even though it has not featured on the championship calendar for many years now, it is still an interesting test bench, partly down to the good weather it enjoys at this time of year.
"Now we still have one more test session prior to the start of the 2025 season, to bring to an end this initial and crucial phase of working on track. The information gathered so far will allow us to direct our development in an ever more precise fashion for the coming tests.”
Pirelli’s next session will take place at the Sakhir circuit on 2 and 3 March, when Alpine will once again be on track, this time joined by Williams.
