Pirelli has been granted an extra year as control tyre supplier to the WRC. The Italian tyre firm, who have been control tyre supplier to the WRC since 2008, were the only company to apply for a three year contract, but it was later announced that the contract would only run for one year.
Pirelli invested €11m in the series at the end of 2007 after winning the contract to supply control tyres from BF Goodrich.
Sources within the FIA said: “Obviously, it came as quite a surprise when Pirelli´s was the only tender for the next three years. What´s happened here is that the FIA has another year to decide which way to play the control tyre scenario for the World Rally Championship."
Established in 1872 by Giovanni Battista Pirelli, Pirelli has supplied tyres to WRC teams for the last 30 years, supplying famous teams such as Lancia, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Ford & Citroen. Pirelli is also the control tyre supplier for the World Superbike Championship, British Superbike Championship & the British Rally Championship.
The Pirelli Star Driver award runs six drivers from all around the world in Mitsubishi Lancer E10's, run by Ralliart Italia, in the P-WRC. Drivers for the 2010 P-WRC are Alex Raschi, Ott Tanak, Nicholai Georgiou, Peter Horskey & Hayden Padden. They will compete on the Rally of Turkey, Rallye de Portugal, Rally Finalnd, Rallye Deutschland, Rally France & Rally GB.
The same award in Britan runs a driver selected from eight finalists for a full BRC season. The 2010 Pirelli Star Driver is Keith Cronin, 2009 BRC Champion, driving a Subaru Impreza N14 run by TEG Sport.
The FIA have now begun debating the issue of opening up to other tyre suppliers for the 2012 season.
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