FOTA approves Turkey tyre test for de la Rosa

Pedro de la Rosa is set to test one more time for F1’s new official tyre supplier Pirelli.

The veteran Spaniard was the Italian marque’s primary tester but for 2011 he has returned to his former reserve role at McLaren.

Pirelli, however, is heading to Turkey’s Istanbul circuit this weekend and wants 40-year-old de la Rosa to try improvements to the 2009 Toyota test mule.

"I wrote to the FOTA tyre group and told them that we wanted Pedro to do this test. There was no negative feedback," motor sport boss Paul Hembery told the German website motorsport-total.com.

The report said the test will be mainly for tyre developments for 2012, but also to check the behaviour of the current Pirellis through Turkey’s punishing turn eight.

"This is an opportunity to check the critical eighth corner which, as everybody knows, is a special challenge for the tyres.

"We want to be on the safe side," added Hembery.