Silverstone ban didn’t hurt Mercedes - Hembery

Paul Hembery has denied the missed Silverstone test will continue to affect Mercedes.

As a result of the ’test-gate’ scandal, Mercedes was ordered to sit out the young drivers test, at which every other team got an early taste of Pirelli’s new Hungary-spec tyre.

But Pirelli’s Hembery told Auto Motor und Sport: "From now, I do not expect Mercedes will be disadvantaged.

"These tyres are well known from last year, and Mercedes got all the (test) data.

"But unlike the other teams, they were unable to test any upgrades on their car.

"That was their disadvantage of not running at the young drivers test," he insisted.

Hembery also denied that some teams have been unfairly advantaged, while others disadvantaged, as a result of the latest change in Pirelli’s 2013 tyre specification.

"As far as we are concerned, it looks as though nothing has changed," the Briton said.

"The order is the same as before."