Pirelli wants future rules decision ahead of tender

Pirelli has called on the sport to confirm its plans for the 2017 season to ensure it can prepare itself for the upcoming tyre supplier tender process.

Formula 1 recently voted to postpone major changes to the sport, such as wider tyres, greater aerodynamic freedom and more powerful engines, all of which had been planned for 2016.

It’s yet to be decided whether those changes will now happen in 2017 or whether they’ll be delayed again.

With a tender process due to find a new tyre supplier in 2017, Pirelli has called for a decision to be made on the sport’s future direction so it, and other potential suppliers, know what they’re getting in to.

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“We want to see what is happening in 2017,” said Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery. “If you’re going to have a tender process you want to know what you’re signing up to.”

When asked if the Italian manufacturer would submit an application without knowing the future rules, he said: “It would be hard to, almost impossible to go to the board if there are changes in the offing.

“If you don’t know what those changes are, how can you possibly make decisions costing a substantial amount of money? It would be a bit remiss to do that.

“We’ve not heard any more. When they do the tender process, which we believe will be in the next three months, then we would want that to include what is selected.”

Pirelli certainly aren’t against change according to Hembery, it’s just knowing in advance so the necessary testing can take place.

“We are happy to do the right thing for the sport. Do they want 19-inch tyres or do we want to stay with 13-inch?

“If the changes are as they described, with 1000bhp and huge rear wings etc, you’d want to be do running in October and November the previous year.”