Both Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas have reported challenges getting Pirelli’s new F1 tyres to work on the recently-resurfaced Circuit de Catalunya with the new Mercedes W09. Having opted to split the day’s track running between its two drivers, Mercedes notched up a marathon number of laps on the opening day of the second F1 test with Bottas producing 86 laps in the morning before handing over to Hamilton to stack up 91 laps in the afternoon session to collect the highest number of any F1 team. Pit lane pictures caught the Mercedes suffering heavy blistering and degradation on the soft and medium rear Pirelli tyres and both drivers conceded it was a worry they shared at the...
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