Pirelli will shortly be announced as the new supplier of rubber to the F1 teams, it is reported this evening.
The Italian company have long been linked to the sport after incumbent supplier Bridgestone announced their withdrawal, effective from the end of the current season.
The only sticking point was thought to be the company’s desire to see the sport switch to 18-inch wheel rims, which would bring the F1 tyre technology theoretically closer to road-going rubber.
But it is strongly rumoured that a deal has been agreed, with Pirelli chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera hinting heavily to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport that an announcement would be made as soon as tomorrow.
“We’ll see, there is this hypothesis. By Friday we should know something,” said the Italian.
Any Pirelli deal would see off the hopes of British company Cooper-Avon of supplying F1 rubber.
