2014 tyres 'a little better' - Hamilton

Feb.4 (GMM) Pirelli says it is too early to assess the performance of its new-for-2014 tyres, despite four days of running at Jerez last week.

The Italian marque endured a nightmarish 2013 season, marred by blowouts and claims its tyres wore inconsistently and excessively.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, however, said after the Jerez test: "The (2014) tyres are a little bit better.

"They're more durable, so you can do maybe 30 laps and have a lot less wear on them," he told the British broadcaster Sky. "But they still overheat, like any other tyre."

Pirelli, however, is not endorsing Hamilton's comments, on the basis that the lack of running at Jerez meant "very little tyre work was carried out".

Indeed, Paul Hembery was scheduled to conduct media interviews on the last day of the test, but it was called off on the basis that not enough about the tyres was learned at Jerez, according to Speed Week.

"The emphasis was not on tyres during this test," motor sport chief Hembery confirmed.

"The upcoming tests in Bahrain should allow them (the teams) to focus on tyres a little more, having had two weeks to develop their cars and remedy any issues that have been identified at Jerez," he added.