Google+ Jack Leslie F1: Ecclestone denies Michelin return

29 August 2013

Ecclestone denies Michelin return

Bernie Ecclestone has rubbished rumours that Michelin will replace Pirelli as F1's tyre supplier for the 2014 season.
(c) Crash.net
The French manufacturer contacted the FIA over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend and competition boss Pascal Couasnon was quoted by Le Figaro newspaper revealing that discussions were underway with the FIA.

Ecclestone and FIA president Jean Todt are said to be on opposing sides when it comes to who supplies F1 with tyres for next season. Todt is in favour of a return for Michelin but Ecclestone feels that there is no real interest from the teams in a return by the French supplier - who last contested in Formula 1 back in 2006.

He told Speed: "FOM and Pirelli have a contract. They [The FIA] are nothing to do with commercial. The FIA’s position is that they are regulators. They regulate all the regulations that have been agreed. Jean is the president of the FIA. If it’s a matter of a vote in the World Council, he has one vote. As it’s not a matter for the World Council, it doesn’t make a lot of difference.

He added: "All the teams who have spoken to me say they are very happy with Pirelli, and the problems they’ve had, they’re happy that they’ve dealt with them."

The 82-year-old's views on a potential tyre war remain unchanged, opposed to the kind of situation that saw Bridgestone focus most of its resources on Ferrari throughout the early 2000's.

He said: "They will want to pick the teams that they think will win, and they’ll pay them a lot more money to take them as opposed to somebody else. We have a deal with Pirelli, anyway."

The last time Formula 1 had a tyre war was in 2006, when Michelin and Bridgestone went head to head. 

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