Official: Pirelli over Michelin to supply F1
The duel between Pirelli and Michelin ultimately turned to the advantage of the Italian manufacturer, which will remain the sole tire supplier in Formula 1 until 2019.
It was in the Sochi paddock that Bernie Ecclestone announced the news: an agreement has been reached with Pirelli for the current F1 tire supplier to extend its contract for three seasons, until 2019. Pirelli then confirmed the information on social media.
Faced with serious criticism regarding the sometimes too dramatic degradation of its compounds (after various incidents, particularly during the 2013 British Grand Prix), Pirelli had also threatened to leave F1 if more private tests were not organized in 2016.
An agreement on this issue, however, seems to be on the right track: “We are in the process of reaching an agreement for around 18 days of private testing in 2016 to develop the 2017 tires,” said Paul Hembery, director of Pirelli Motorsport, to AFP.
