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Pirelli has quenched suggestions that say the tyre manufacturer will actually buy into Formula 1. Liberty Media, who completed their takeover of Formula 1 in January, has invited teams to buy shares within the sport.
Pirelli was rumoured to be lining up a deal to buy into motorsport's pinnacle, but CEO of the Italian manufacturer Marco Tronchetti Provera told the Italian press in Monaco when asked if they were offered to buy shares: "Nobody gave us anything and we did not ask.
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"We are part of Formula 1 but it is not a financial investment. Our involvement remains on the technological and marketing side. So we see no need to enter with capital. But we are committed to Formula 1, which is the most attractive motorsport in the world."
There are also rumours that Liberty Media will open up a deal which allows a second tyre manufacturer to enter the sport to compete alongside Pirelli. The last time two manufacturers were used in the same season was 2006, when Michelin and Bridgestone supplied various teams.
Provera says that he would be happy for a separate manufacturer to enter F1 and compete with Pirelli: "We are ready to compete because when we race against others, we usually win."
Provera thinks Pirelli has delivered what F1 needed as the sport transitioned to the 2017 regulations featuring faster cars: "If the drivers are happy, it is a sign that we have done a good job. But we do not stop. In 2018 we want to give even more fun and entertainment."
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A tyre war, eh? I have mixed feelings about it. Im not sure how well it worked earlier in F1, but it does work well in other series. A clear positive with a tyre war is that it usually lead to faster tyres. A con is that if one of the tyre manufacturers produce significantly better tyres, the races will be a bit onesided. The only way it can work in F1 IMO is if they, like in Super GT, can get the other manufacturer to have similar tyre quality as Pirelli's but with other pros and cons. In Super GT, Bridgestone tyres tend to last longer, but need more time to warm up, the Michelins are pretty much the opposite, the Yokohamas are a bit of an in between, and the Dunlops are generally slower but handles better in the rain.