Teams want Pirelli to stay in WRC

Pirelli has moved to quell the fears of both Ford and Citroen by stating that it intends to remain in the World Rally Championship, even if its move into Formula 1 is signed off.

FIA president Jean Todt confirmed last week that the World Rally Championship will continue to be supplied with a control tyre beyond the end of Pirelli’s current three-year agreement which expires at the end of this season.

Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery said: "We have made it clear that we want to remain in the World Rally Championship no matter what happens elsewhere. Pirelli has a very strong heritage in rallying and that’s not something we are prepared to turn our back on. I think we have done a very good job working with the FIA as the control tyre supplier since the start of the 2008 season and I think the manufacturers feel the same way."

Pirelli was the only tyre firm which tendered for the next three-year agreement, but it has yet to reach an agreement with the FIA. Jean Todt said: "The single tyre supplier will continue in the World Rally Championship, not indefinitely, but for now."

Ford team principal Malcolm Wilson praised the introduction of the control tyre, pointing out the considerable cost savings which had been made. He said: "That has definitely worked for this championship. Between 30 and 50 per cent of the costs we had were associated with tyre testing. It has to be Pirelli which continues. If we were to go back to open tyre competition, the costs would go straight back up. Nobody is in favour of the open tyre coming back. Pirelli has worked hard and it should stay."

Citroen’s Olivier Quesnel echoed those sentiments, but added a word of caution. "Pirelli makes sense. I’m sure it’s the same with Ford, but our new car being developed with these tyres, but maybe we don’t have Pirelli if they get to F1. They will push everything for now, but when they come to F1, they say: "Oh sorry." When you don’t know the future, you push everything."