Pirelli says true degradation will be seen this week

F1's official tyre supplier has been tasked with creating rubber that will allow drivers to push harder in races, and the early characteristics from last week's running at Barcelona suggests that degradation has been reduced dramatically.

But Pirelli is cautious about jumping to conclusions just yet, and believes higher track temperatures expected in the season, allied to the big jumps in performance that could come this week, may change the situation completely.

"If they improve the laptime by two or three seconds, we have to reassess the numbers in terms of degradation," said Pirelli's racing manager Mario Isola.

"I heard some comments that they are too consistent and, maybe okay, with the numbers we have now [from the first test], it is true. But wait until [this] week and then see what happens.

"If you improve the laptime by two seconds also the degradation is changing."

Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery said: "We don't believe we've seen what you will see in Melbourne, and most teams will tell you the same. Let's see Saturday night in Melbourne.

"There is degradation, but I also say let's wait for Barcelona with 20 degrees more temperature and maybe two or three seconds more performance, which seems to be the impression that people have.

"Three seconds a lap changes the whole scenario. It is not where we are now that we need to watch, it is where we are at the end of the season. The cars could then be dramatically different to where we are today."

The extent of degradation will be key to race strategies, for if there is minimal degradation and wear then that will push teams on to one-stop strategies.

Hembery added: "The soft tyre here was looking at 80 laps in terms of wear life, so you would be looking at a one-stop there. Last season we were going more and more to one stop races.

"When you go to stability and give more protection against overheating, you move in a technology direction that means the degradation won't be there."