Pirelli sole manufacturer in Formula 1 for three more years
The FIA has announced that it has reached an agreement with Pirelli to extend the Italian company's contract by three additional years as the sole manufacturer for F1. The two entities are now bound until the end of 2016.
As suggested by the sporting regulations published last December, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) and Pirelli have reached an agreement to continue their partnership.
The Italian manufacturer has signed a new contract with the FIA for a three-year period starting in 2014, until the end of the 2016 season. Thanks to this new partnership, Pirelli has obtained guarantees for regular testing to provide the best possible tires, as revealed in the FIA statement:
« The governing body and Pirelli, in collaboration with the teams, have worked together to improve safety and performance levels in Formula 1, resulting in numerous changes to the sporting regulations regarding tire testing, which will allow the Italian company to continue its role as the sole tire manufacturer in Formula 1 in the best interests of the sport.
These new rules, mandatory starting from the 2014 season, can be summarized as follows:
One of the 12 pre-season test days, as stipulated by the 2014 sporting regulations, will be dedicated exclusively to tire testing for wet conditions.
2) Each team will dedicate one of its eight in-season testing days, as stipulated by the 2014 sporting regulations, exclusively to tire testing. This means that on each of the eight in-season testing days, at least one team—and up to a maximum of two—will focus on tire testing alongside Pirelli engineers.
To avoid a fiasco like at the British Grand Prix, the FIA and the teams will now be informed of the various developments made by Pirelli: « Pirelli will continue to determine the tire specifications and manage all aspects of their development, in close collaboration with the FIA and the teams, and within the parameters set by the Formula 1 sporting and technical regulations. »
In addition to this partnership that will see Pirelli remain the sole manufacturer for F1 for three more years, the Milan-based firm could also collaborate with the FIA as part of its road safety campaign: Action for Road Safety.
