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F1: Pirelli to stay on budget, test F1 tyres with GP2 car

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

Entering formula one will not cause Pirelli to increase its budget, chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera said on Thursday.

The Italian company has won its bid to succeed the sport's departing exclusive supplier Bridgestone in 2011, but its boss played down suggestions the sport is still extremely expensive for participants.

Tronchetti Provera confirmed that teams are paying Pirelli for service over the next three years, adding that the cost to the marque "will be zero compared to our budget".

And "the advertising campaign ... will be switched from other races where we've reduced our presence, first of all rallying, where there are new rules starting next year", he is quoted as saying by the AFP news agency.

"We'll reduce our budget in other racing (categories) and be fully dedicated to formula one," he said, although Pirelli will also supply GP2 and GP3 next year.

Meanwhile, Pirelli's director of motorsport Paul Hembrey played down reports the unraced 2010 Toyota car will be used by the marque for F1 tyre testing.

Revealing that a GP2 car will be used instead, he said as "a test-bed, particularly for integrity reasons, reliability and stability, it's probably a good starting point".



Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 8 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada