Pirelli push on with tyre choice plan

Editor

Pirelli's plans to give teams some choice, but "not complete freedom", over their tyre compounds will go ahead next season.

Earlier this year Pirelli proposed that the teams be allowed to choose their own compounds, which would lead to varied strategies.

After discussing it with the teams and the FIA, F1's tyre supplier has opted for a slightly toned down version.

As of next season, Pirelli will give the teams three compounds to choose from for each grand prix weekend.

But it is up to the teams to decide how many of each they want.

"The idea is that we define the three compounds and then they can choose inside their 13 sets what they want," Pirelli racing manager Mario Isola told F1i.com

"But it is not complete freedom. We have the one element of variability, but they are not completely free – to avoid the strangest of choices."

The teams also don't have to pick just two of the three, although they will still have to use two different compounds on a grand prix weekend.

"They can choose three and they are obliged to use two," Isola continued. "The same regulation as now. They cannot race with just one compound, they have to race with more than one – two or three.

"The same number of sets and obviously the regulation is not finalised yet and the idea is to keep the same system we have now, so they have to return tyres after each practice and so on.

"It will also give them the opportunity to choose most of their sets and then make their strategies."