Multiple suppliers in contention for F1 tyre contract

FIA president Jean Todt has confirmed there are multiple companies in the running for Formula 1’s tyre supply contract from 2020 following the deadline to submit an application on Friday.

The contract of F1’s existing tyre supplier, Pirelli, will expire at the end of the 2019 season, with the Italian manufacturer having supplied all teams with tyres since 2011.

As part of the planned revision of the F1 technical regulations for 2021, the FIA confirmed in July it would be switching to 18-inch wheels for that season, one year after the new tyre supply contract will begin.

This meant that any interested party would have to create a tyre for 13-inch wheels for 2020 before the producing a new tyre from 2021, with this requirement acting as one factor in Michelin’s decision not to bid for the contract.

The deadline to submit an application for the new tyre contract passed at midnight on Friday, with Pirelli expected to be joined in the running by Korean company Hankook.

Asked about the tyre plans for 2020, Todt said that while he did not have full details on who had submitted a proposal, he knew there was more than one party involved in the process.

“The ending of the tender was last night at midnight,” Todt said.

“I don’t have the result yet of who has been applying for the tender. I know it’s more than one.

“But I knew since a while now, before August, that Michelin were not going to compete for the tender.”