F1: Todt confirms Pirelli will be ratified for 2017-19 tire deal

Published Nov. 2, 2015 1:32 p.m. ET

Adam Cooper

Jean Todt has confirmed that the FIA will ratify Pirelli as the winner of the 2017-19 F1 tire tender.

Bernie Ecclestone announced in Russia that he'd signed a commercial agreement with Pirelli, but the choice still had to be formally approved by the FIA. After the issues in Spa and Monza, the Italian company came under some scrutiny, but in the end it has still won out over rival Michelin.

“The FIA has a responsibility to make sure that once the tender is done the people who have answered to the tender have the understanding and the know-how to do the job,” said Todt. “You have two manufacturers who applied to the tender, it was Pirelli and it was Michelin. And clearly it was stated, after information, which was also taken by our technical people, that both could do the job.

“Clearly Pirelli has demonstrated that it could do the job and we would hope that Pirelli with its experience could also do the job. Both were if I could say homologated with their technical skills, then it is up to the commercial rights holder to see what is the best commercial deal he can get, and he got the best commercial deal as I understand with Pirelli. There is no reason why the FIA and its World Motor Sport Council won't ratify that.”

Click HERE for more F1 news and features