Pirelli says it will quit F1 if it is not given adequate testing time ahead of the introduction of new regulations in the 2017 season.
The current tyre tender has yet to be finalised, but Pirelli is expected to remain as F1's sole tyre supplier beyond the end of next season. Following a meeting involving Pirelli, Bernie Ecclestone and a number of teams and drivers at Monza on Saturday, Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery says the current situation of having no tyre testing has to change.
"The one thing that needs to happen is a proper testing programme and I think the drivers, the first level drivers, need to be involved in that testing programme and determining the products we take into a season," Hembery said. "At the moment we have no testing, they are not involved, so you can imagine there is a discrepancy there and that is not normal in my opinion.
"We are a long way off at the moment, we haven’t got a test programme. The first phase for us is to define what we would need. There are a couple of proposals that have been put forward, so once we have that how to fit it into a very intensive race calendar year next year with a car that also needs to be different to the current car, because it is a wider track with more downforce, so there are a huge number of factors involved in practically delivering what we are asking.
"There needs to be some testing looking towards 2017. There are a lot of practical issues because the car will be different, you can’t put wider tyres onto the current car. There are factors involved in how to achieve that and that is something the engineers in the teams need to advise on."
Pushed on how crucial the introduction of testing is to Pirelli's future in F1, Hembery said: "It is a condition. We cannot continue in a scenario where we can’t do our work…
"Without a testing programme we won’t be able to stay in the sport."
Asked when Pirelli will need to have confirmation in writing regarding testing in the future, Hembery replied: "It’s going to have to be pretty quick, isn’t it?"
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