Ferrari reject tyre favouritism claims

Ferrari's technical director said on Thursday at Monaco that Briatore has only one company to blame if his team are disadvantaged next year - and that is Michelin.

"The situation we have coming in 2007 is because Michelin decided to withdraw from the sport," said the Englishman. "Those teams that are now unhappy about the situation should go and complain to Michelin. 

"It's Michelin's fault that they decided to withdraw from the sport. Briatore should complain to Michelin rather than Ferrari, Bridgestone or the FIA."

Briatore said this month that he feared Ferrari, who have a close relationship with Japan's Bridgestone, will be favoured when his team's partners Michelin pull out at the end of the season.

"If we are all on Bridgestone next year, then if you use them already you will surely have an advantage," said Briatore. "I believe what the FIA and Bridgestone need to do is to change the compound and change the construction completely.

"I don't think it is fair to give an advantage to some teams - whoever those teams are. I don't care if it is just Ferrari. I believe we need to have equal possibility to do our job."

Brawn admitted that the current Bridgestone teams will have some advantage next year, even though the tyre company is likely to take "one or two steps back" in the specification of its rubber in 2007.

"There is no doubt that the teams that have built a relationship with Bridgestone will benefit from having done that," he said. "That's entirely fair and proper."

Formula One teams and the FIA have agreed formally to move to a single tyre supplier from 2008, with the governing body announcing a tender for that contract earlier in the week.