• Tyre news

No decision as tyre uncertainty continues

ESPNF1 Staff
April 29, 2010 « Button 'best in the wet' - Villeneuve | »
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The uncertainty over tyres for 2011 is unlikely to be resolved ahead of the forthcoming Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali, and McLaren and FOTA chief Martin Whitmarsh, said last week that with Bridgestone departing at the end of the year, the issue of tyres for 2011 should be agreed by Barcelona. "I think we will know something more, I would say 100%, by Barcelona," Domenicali said before departing Shanghai.

But after a FOTA meeting on Wednesday, Williams' technical director Sam Michael said he felt a decision by Spain was now unlikely.

The teams alliance was earlier believed to have agreed in principle to be supplied by Michelin next year, but Avon has made a lower-cost proposal that is understood to be backed by Bernie Ecclestone and smaller teams.

"Avon's a lot cheaper but it's a less proven product although they've done plenty of highly competitive tyres," Michael told the BBC. "[Avon] are a bigger unknown than Michelin because Michelin did [F1] very recently. But there is a significant difference in cost and you are probably talking over three times the difference in cost to the teams."

But earlier today Pirelli issued a statement saying it will now "present ... an offer for the supply of tyres to all the teams in the F1 championship" ahead of the Barcelona race.

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