Middle East circuit should host F1 testing to avoid Jerez tyre wear repeat, says Pirelli chief

Motorsport director Paul Hembery believes Abu Dhabi or Bahrain should host first testing for the 2014 season after complaints about the abrasive surface at Jerez.

A man tries his hand at changing a F1 tyre in the Pirelli booth at Abu Dhabi Corniche during Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend.
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Pre-season testing could move to Abu Dhabi from next season to avoid the abrasive surfaces of Jerez, according to a Pirelli director.

First testing has traditionally been conducted at Jerez, as was the case last week, as the warmest place in Europe around this time of year.

But teams and drivers have expressed concerns about the damage being caused by the ageing asphalt on the track.

Now Paul Hembery, motorsport director, has called for the testing track to be switched to the Middle East.

"It (Jerez) is not a good reference because of the condition of the asphalt," said Hembery.

"I think next year maybe we should go to Bahrain or Abu Dhabi."

Meanwhile Pirelli has revealed the tyres for the first races of the 2013 season - designed to produce at least two pit stops per race.

The company will use more quickly degrading super-soft tyre for the first time at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on March 17, in conjunction with the medium compound.

A week later in Malaysia it will be the medium and hard tyres, while in China and Bahrain in April there will be a further two different combinations, with the soft/medium and soft/hard respectively.

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