Pirelli extends F1 contract through to 2019

Pirelli has announced that it has extended its contract as Formula One's exclusive tyre supplier for another three years, taking it through to the end of the 2019 season.

Pirelli's existing contract has been due to expire at the end of the current season. The new agreement represents a three year extension through 2017, 2018 and 2019.

The Italian tyre manufacturer confirmed that the new agreement had been completed over the winter.

Pirelli, the FIA and the Formula One teams have also agreed important changes to the sports technical regulations, which means that there will be new technical regulations from 2017 featuring significant changes to the bodywork specifications and the introduction of wider tyres.

In order to prepare for the new regulations, Pirelli has succeeded in getting agreements from the FIA and the teams to modify the sporting regulations regarding tyre testing

The changes mean that tests with 2012, 2013 or 2014-specification cars can now take place, using tyres in the current size but with prototype elements to prepare for 2017.

In addition, Pirelli will be able to undertake up to 25 days of testing with modified 2015 cars, using prototype tyres in their full 2017 sizes.

Testing with pre-2015 cars is already underway according to Pirelli, while testing with 2015 cars using prototypes of next year's larger tyres will take place over the summer, following a test programme that has been agreed between the FIA and the participating team

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Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.