Ecclestone is not in favor of a Pirelli/Michelin duel
Bernie Ecclestone dashed Michelin's hopes of returning to F1, stating that FOM had a contract with Pirelli for 2014 and that this was sufficient to ensure the presence of the tire manufacturer in F1. Ecclestone also expressed opposition to a duel between the two manufacturers.
Pirelli signed a contract for three years with Formula 1 at the beginning of 2011, a contract that expires at the end of this year. The Italian manufacturer is still waiting for the FIA to renew the partnership for the upcoming seasons, which has reignited rumors about the arrival of other manufacturers in F1, such as Michelin.
Despite the concerns of Paul Hembery, the head of competition at Pirelli, Bernie Ecclestone, for his part, believes that the Milan-based manufacturer will still be in Formula 1 next season, telling *Speed* that Pirelli does not need an agreement with the FIA: « The FOM and Pirelli have a contract. We don’t need a contract [between Pirelli and the FIA], I don’t think. They have nothing to do with the commercial aspect. The position of the FIA is that they are there to regulate. They legislate on all the regulations that have been approved. »
The head of FOM also stated that he was not in favor of a duel between Pirelli and Michelin: « Because they [Michelin] will choose the teams they think are capable of winning, and they will pay them much more than anyone else. We have a contract with Pirelli anyway. »
Despite the absence of a contract or announcement about the 2014 Formula 1 tire manufacturer, Pirelli is working on tires for the next season as one of the McLaren team officials recently stated.
