F1 goes back to the Nürburgring
Formula 1 will return to the Nürburgring next week for a two-day tyre test with Pirelli, using Mercedes and McLaren as the teams on duty. The cars are due to run on April 14 and 15.
Pirelli stages these kinds of private tests throughout the season to collect real-world data and steer tyre development. The teams taking part are not exactly handed the full menu of what is being assessed, either. Pirelli effectively hires them for the job, directs the run plan, and keeps the compound details to itself while the laps go by. A thrillingly secretive business, all things considered.
Who is taking part
RacingNews365 understands Mercedes will field its regular race pair, George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. McLaren is also expected to use its full current line-up, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
The test is notable not just because of the teams involved, but because it marks F1's first visit to the Nürburgring since the one-off 2020 Eifel Grand Prix. That race was added after the COVID-19 pandemic tore up the calendar and left organisers scrambling for suitable alternatives.
A circuit with a familiar F1 history
The Nürburgring was a regular stop for the German Grand Prix between 2009 and 2013, sharing hosting duties with Hockenheim in alternating years. It took the odd-numbered editions in that period, while Hockenheim became the sole host in 2014 and kept the event in its even-numbered slots through 2018.
There was one last F1 race there in 2019, staged at Mercedes' request as the company marked its 125th anniversary. Because if there is a milestone to celebrate, a Grand Prix is apparently one of the acceptable ways to do it.
Ferrari also has test work scheduled
Ferrari is set for its own Pirelli test during the April break, with a two-day wet tyre programme at Fiorano. That running will replace the cancelled Bahrain test, which was scrapped following the outbreak of the Iran War.
