Pirelli testing ‘enormous’ advantage for rivals, says Symonds

The three outfits have agreed to share out Pirelli's preparation work for next year's wider tyres, which has required them to build hybrid cars to simulate the higher downforce levels expected for 2017.

And although the FIA and Pirelli have ensured that all data gathered from the tests will be shared with every team, Symonds still believes that there are big gains to be made from those outfits actually doing the tests.

"I think it's an enormous advantage and I think it's something we need to consider," he explained.

"Even in this sort of blind testing they do, there always is the advantage in that the comments you make steer the direction of the tyres.

"I think when Lotus were running the Pirelli test car, they went through a bit of a cold period, and I'm sure that it wasn't that they were saying 'make the tyres like this, make the tyres like that'.

"What they were doing, they were testing the tyre and saying 'well, I like that one and I don't like that one'. Based on that, Pirelli would say 'okay, we'd like to move forward with that one'.

"Now, another team might have said 'well, actually, we preferred the other way round' and then there'd have been more debate. I think those doing the testing have the advantage from that."

Tyre choices

Symonds believes that perhaps the biggest advantage for the three teams will be when it comes to picking the early allocation of tyre compounds for 2017 – which will have to be made before next season's first test has taken place.

"I think what is really unusual at this stage and really something we need to discuss is that we now have to choose our own tyres, we have put that tyre order in very very early, so our first two tyre orders - and I'm assuming a similar sort of calendar to now – will go in before Christmas," he said.

"By the time we start testing in February, I think we will have chosen about six races worth of tyres. We've never even seen them! We've never had them on the car, we know nothing about them.

"So, actually, while I feel that the rule that allows us to choose the tyres is a really good one and it has spiced up the racing, I really think that, if that rule is in place for the first half of next year, the advantage that Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull can get is really enormous.

"I don't want them to get rid of the rule, because it's a good one, but to acknowledge that not all the teams could afford to go and do the testing, to mitigate that a little bit, I really think that we need to do something."

Cost limits

Williams was one of those outfits that was in contention to conduct some of the Pirelli testing, but in the end the team was unable to afford to undertake such a project.

Symonds added: "We did a lot of design work on it, but we couldn't get full clarity on what the test regime was and, when we started to get towards it, costed it out, we just simply couldn't afford to do it. It's too expensive for a team like us.

"Pirelli are paying something towards it, but don't cover all the costs - so we just can't afford to do it.

"And that's not a great thing for the sport, is it? That you can find out about the tyres, but only if you've got enough money to do it."