Formula One teams will be given extra tyres for Friday open practice beginning at this week's Spanish Grand Prix, a move designed to generate more action for fans, supplier Pirelli said on Monday.
"We'll be supplying an extra set of prototype hard compound tyres for free practice, which will hopefully ensure that all the cars run throughout these sessions," said motorsport director Paul Hembery in a preview of Sunday's race in Barcelona.
"It's something we wanted to do to encourage all the teams to run as much as possible right from the start, especially with the rookie drivers, to give fans the spectacle they deserve to see," he added.
Spectators watching the first practice session on Friday have had to endure long periods with no track action as drivers opted to save their quick-wearing tyres.
Pirelli said the extra-hard tyres would be a specially created compound, made to last much longer than the regular orange-marked tyres available for the rest of the weekend. They will carry no colour markings.
The initial suggestion was for the extra set to be made available for young drivers only, or to be used in the first half hour on Friday, but that met opposition from top teams unwilling to put rookies in cars at a grand prix weekend.
Each driver currently has 11 sets of dry-weather tyres for a weekend - six of the harder "prime" and five of a softer "option".
They must hand back one set of the prime tyres before second practice and one set of each before the third session and before qualifying.
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