Pirelli motorsport boss Paul Hembery says the tyre manufacturer is still yet to have the testing guarantees it is seeking in order to remain in F1.
Following the tyre failures at the Belgian Grand Prix, Pirelli threatened to quit the sport at the end of its current supply contract if it does not get the ability to test ahead of the planned regulation changes for the 2017 season. With the current deal expiring at the end of 2016, Hembery says there has only been progress towards two testing sessions this winter so far.
“Guarantees? No,” Hembery told F1i. “We’ve had a lot of discussion but we’re getting closer to getting to a proposal to put to the [World Motor Sport Council]. Of course, it’s got to go to the F1 Commission first, but it would appear we are honing in on a solution at least for a session at Abu Dhabi and the wet testing at Paul Ricard.”
And Hembery admits the tyre manufacturer is wary of having to follow through with its threat due to the number of previous times there has been a lack of agreement to enable change in F1.
“There’s so many differences of interest involved that until we are actually out there and running then you’ve got a sense of deja vu. Of course, if we do stay in the sport in 2017 that can’t happen. We’ve said it very clearly, we are unable to remain in this sport if we are not enabled to do our job.”
Saying Pirelli needs to know within weeks what the future F1 testing plans are, Hembery also insists a testing program from 2017 onwards “would be conditional” within any new supply contract. Pirelli has already warned it would consider its own future as a sponsor if Red Bull quits F1.
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