Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali has played down chances of a return to a tyre war, admitting having more than one supplier is not on the agenda.
Pirelli has been the sole tyre supplier in F1 since 2011 after taking over the reigns from previous provider Bridgestone.
Bridgestone was part of F1’s last tyre competition when it went head-to-head with Michelin between 2001 and 2006 before the latter pulled out at the end of the year.
Since Pirelli’s arrival, F1 has chosen to stick with a single supplier to cut down costs and provide a level playing field for all of the teams.
In the previous tyre war era, teams contracted to a certain manufacturer had preferential treatment compared to their competitors – something the series in keen to avoid.
But it could decide to go down a different route when Pirelli’s new contract expires at the end of 2027 or 2028 if F1 takes up the option for a further season.
Speaking about the current single tyre supplier arrangement, Domenicali said that returning to a tyre war would not be a consideration unless measures are brought in to address costs.
“I think that point was taken together with the FIA to make sure that we were able to control the costs of the ecosystem of F1,” Domenicali said, as quoted by Motorsport.com.
“That was the main reason that we moved from the tyre competition, when we had a lot of testing, where we had a lot of mileage, and where there was a lot of research, that was really beneficial. But the cost was really massive.
“Therefore, that was the reason we moved from that direction into the new situation. It is too premature to consider that this could be a possibility for the future.
“In terms of an actual situation where the cost control is very relevant, I would say we haven’t decided for sure, but it’s not yet on the agenda to see if this could be a possibility in the future.
“But it’s a point of relevancy, because in the future if you’re able to control with different mechanisms, the cost, why not?
“But so far it’s not on the agenda of the discussion together with the FIA, and with the teams.”
Pirelli is expected to walk away from F1 at the end of its new deal, but the Italian company insists it would welcome competition from another supplier.
“I think that it is important to underline that Pirelli is participating as part of more than 300 championships around the world in the motorsport business,” said Pirelli’s executive vice president Marco Tronchetti Provera.
“In most of them, there are also other suppliers, and we are happy to compete with other suppliers. So it was never an issue for us.
“For us it has been always an opportunity, competing with others as we do providing tyres for the prestige cars, the premium cars. We are very happy because it’s an opportunity to prove our technology.”
