Pirelli renews F1 tire contract for next three years

ERJ staff report (TP)

Milan, Italy – Following a decision by the World Motor Sport Council confirming Pirelli’s status as the single supplier of tires to the FIA Formula One World Championship, Pirelli and the FIA have renewed their Formula One tire supply contract. The duration of the agreement is for three years, starting from the 2014 season.

The world motorsport’s governing body and Pirelli, in collaboration with the teams, have been working together to improve levels of safety and performance in Formula One, resulting in important changes to the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations regarding the testing of tires, which will enable the Italian company to continue its Formula One single supply arrangements, in the best interests of the sport.

These new rules, mandatory from the 2014 season onwards, are summarised by Pirelli as follows:

1) One of the 12 days of official pre-season testing, as prescribed in the 2014 Sporting Regulations, will be dedicated exclusively to wet tire testing.

2) Each team will dedicate one of their eight days of in-season testing, as prescribed in the 2014 Sporting Regulations, exclusively to tire testing. This means that during each of the eight days of in-season testing, at least one team – and up to a maximum of two – will be concentrating on tire testing along with Pirelli’s engineers.

Pirelli will continue to determine the specification of the tires and to manage all aspects of their development, in close consultation with the FIA and the teams, and within the parameters set out in the FIA Formula One Sporting & Technical Regulations.

In addition, Pirelli and the FIA have agreed to discuss how to go about establishing a possible partnership on the FIA Action for Road Safety campaign.