The current standard for F1 cars is a 13-inch wheel rim, but Charles Pic was in the driving seat on Wednesday to sample a tyre aimed at narrowing the gap between the sport's high-performance vehicles and road cars.
And Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery revealed that the demonstration was intended to provoke debate over the future of F1.
"I participate at F1 Commission meetings and we've been discussing new regulations and rules for the future and discussions have gone to rim sizes, 18, 19, 20," he told Sky Sports News. "We just thought it would be far better if we actually did some and showed people what it looked like and then we'd get a reaction.
"It is quite a change because Formula One's been with 13-inch tyres for many years and we've always said we're happy to do what the sport wants and this is a first look to see what might be the future."
But Hembery concedes that any potential change was not likely to come into being until 2017 at the earliest.
"Well the rules probably won't change until 2017," he added. "I think we'd probably be able to do it a year earlier than that if the sport wanted, but that again is out of our hands.
"We're just offering our availability. But it doesn't look too bad.
"A lot of people thought it might change dramatically the look of the car and, actually looking at them, they don't look too bad."