Italian supplier says their future is dependent on a "serious test programme" being accepted by the F1 teams
Wednesday 9 September 2015 09:06, UK
Pirelli have said that their future in F1 is dependent on a "serious test programme" being accepted by the teams.
Sky Sports has learnt that a new deal for Pirelli to remain F1's sole tyre supplier is close to being agreed.
However, the Italian company, which endured a fresh barrage of negative publicity in the wake of two high-profile blowouts at the Belgian GP last month, is adamant it will only continue if a ban on in-season testing in 2016. Radical changes to the cars will be introduced for 2017, including the use of larger tyres.
"Going forward there are a number of changes that have to happen which would be a condition for us to stay in F1 and testing is certainly one of them," Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery told Sky Sports.
"Most people don't realise this but we can't do any testing – we can't even go round on a 10-year-old car. That's a nonsense going forward, especially if we are going to change the tyre width front and rear. We have to have a serious test programme and we also need the top drivers involved in testing. We need them to buy into what we are doing. We are being asked to take a certain approach and they need to be involved in that process."
Pirelli and Michelin are currently locked in a tender process to be confirmed as tyre supplier from 2017 when the Italian firm's current contract expires. Due to the brittle nature of their rubber, Pirelli, F1's tyre makers for the last five seasons, have become an easy target for critics despite the sport itself requesting the production of fast-degrading tyres.
Their bid to be retained received a substantial boost on the eve of the Italian GP when FOM, the sport's commercial rights holder for whom Bernie Ecclestone is the public face, issued a highly unsual statement effusive with praise for the group which concluded with a declaration of gratitude for the firm 'helping us to deliver excitement to Formula One fans!'
In a further telling show of support, a number of F1 drivers were summoned to Ecclestone's motorhome on Friday night in Monza when they were reputedly ordered not to criticise Pirelli in public again.
Pirelli, meanwhile, have voiced their thanks to the teams for their co-operation in the wake of the tyre blowouts suffered by Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg but have reiterated their insistence that the regulations surrounding in-season testing must be amended for 2016 if they are to continue in the sport. As it stands, next year's schedule will feature just two four-day pre-season events with a complete ban on in-season testing thereafter.
"In the case that we continue in Formula 1 into 2017, 2016 will be essential to develop the new tyre sizes," Hembery told Sky Sports. "They want to go to wider tyres in 2017, so you need to be doing some work in '16 to make sure you're ready for that. In that situation, it's probably not in-season testing the way we've seen in the last two years that we really need to have; it's actually bespoke sessions of tyre testing to allow us to do our work.
"That's something we've already suggested to the FIA - that if we were to renew and stay in Formula 1, we would need to look at a new procedure for testing tyres for the 2017 season."
