Pirelli completed another day of limited testing as rain continued to interrupt running at the second day of the Italian tyre manufacturer's test with Mercedes in Barcelona this week.
With Lewis Hamilton pulling out of this week's test at the last minute due to a foot injury, Nico Rosberg drove on the first day and Manor's Pascal Wehrlein stepped in on the second. After rain on Wednesday afternoon limited Rosberg's running, Thursday started with a damp track before the rain returned in the afternoon and cut the second day short as well.
Although the two-day test was scheduled for slick tyre running, Wehrlein could only complete 31 laps on Pirelli's intermediate compounds for 2017. Low temperatures meant the data was of limited value and Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery used the conditions to highlight his concerns about conducting pre-season testing at Barcelona next year.
"Obviously the weather hindered progress to some extent both today and yesterday, as is not entirely unexpected at this time of year in Europe," he said. "The same can apply to the early part of next year, which is why we are in favour of some guaranteed warm weather testing in 2017, before the season gets underway."
The location of pre-season testing is a hot political issue in Formula One at the moment as Pirelli pushes for the tests to be moved to Bahrain. Mercedes is also in favour of testing in the hotter climate of the Middle East.
Pirelli's testing programme with its wider tyres continues on Friday in Abu Dhabi as Red Bull takes to the track in the first day of a three-day test at Yas Marina.