Italian tyre company Pirelli is said to be closing in on securing an exclusive deal with the 12 current Formula One teams to supply them with rubber for the 2011 season Patty has learned...from Autosport.
It seems the last week or two has seen many clandestine meetings between the company and the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA), possibly involving spy satellites and brush passes in Berlin. Currently a contract hasn't been signed but it appears as though it's now a formality that we'll be running on Pirelli rubber next season.
With Bridgestone confirming it's pull out at the end of the current season, it has pretty much been a straight fight between Pirelli and Michelin for the F1 contract, with it coming down to money as usual to be the deciding factor.
Pirelli have apparently been able to respond quicker and with more flexibility to the demands placed on it by FOTA, and more open to comprimise.
The teams have been pushing hard to make a decision as soon as possible, with the larger teams well underway with the development of their 2011 cars they need to know the specification of tyre they'll be on to create accurate designs, lest they end up with a HRT.
It's understood that members of FOTA have been calling each other constantly over the last week or so as they've tried to work out which direction to go, the teams are apparently demanding that the current high profile balloon tyres remain for the next two years, and that a tyre war will be ruled out until at least 2013. This consistancy should allow the racing to remain as static as possible, which is what everyone wants. Maybe.
More news is expected over the Turkish GP weekend.
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