Ken Block Confirmed to Test Pirelli F1 Car at Monza

In a move set to test the company’s P Zero tires, Pirelli has recently made an official statement announcing that 'Gymkhana' legend and World Rally Championship star Ken Block will drive the Pirelli F1 test car on August 5th at the Monza circuit. The Pirelli F1 test car has been used by the Italian company since its Formula One programme was announced in June 2010.

Before the test car is taken to Monza by Block, it will complete two days of testing in the hands of Pirelli test driver Lucas di Grassi from Brazil. Di Grassi will also be present to give Block some tips and advice as he makes his Formula One debut.

Block is set to use Pirelli's softer compounds, namely the PZero Red (supersoft) and PZero Yellow (soft) – that reach their operating temperature of around 100 degrees centigrade in less than two laps.

Later on in the test, he should get the chance to try out the two harder compounds: PZero White (medium) and PZero Silver (hard). These tires have a little less performance than the softer ones, but increased durability and resistance to high temperatures.

"I've been lucky enough to do some pretty spectacular stunts in my career so far, but this is something else! Everybody talks about Formula One being the pinnacle of world motorsport so I can't wait to discover it for myself. I'm very grateful to Pirelli, which has been one of my partners since 2010, for this amazing opportunity. These cars are so specialised that I need to be realistic about what I can do, but I know that it's going to be a lot of fun and take hooning to a whole new level..." Block said.