A new deal that "will commit Pirelli to Formula 1 for the next five years will be signed off imminently," according to Jonathan Noble of AUTOSPORT.
The move "follows successful talks" between the tire company and the FIA ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. FIA President Jean Todt met with Pirelli Chair Marco Tronchetti Provera and its Motorsport Dir Paul Hembery at Monza on Sunday "to discuss the ongoing situation."
And although the final contract between the FIA and Pirelli "is still not complete, sources suggest that it is now a formality for the deal to be sorted" (AUTOSPORT, 9/8). In London, Tom Cary reported Todt said that Pirelli "would almost certainly be retained, despite Michelin declaring a late interest in returning to F1." He said, "I understand that [all the teams] want to stay with Pirelli. I will go with the consensus. I am reading that I want Michelin because I am French, but I never read that [when I was at Ferrari] I was the only one of the top teams to stay with Bridgestone when Michelin came into the sport" (TELEGRAPH, 9/7).
