Briatore calls for tyre rules changes

With Michelin's withdrawal at the end of this season likely to leave Bridgestone as F1's only tyre supplier in 2007, Briatore is worried that there will not be a level playing field for those teams switching over to the Japanese manufacturer's rubber.

He is concerned that Ferrari's long-standing relationship with Bridgestone, and deep understanding of their grooved tyre products, will hand the Maranello outfit the edge if the tyre rules stay the same.

His concerns grew at last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix when he found it 'strange' that Ferrari were so much better than any of the other Bridgestone teams.

"If we are all on Bridgestone next year, then if you use them already you will surely have an advantage," said Briatore, when asked by autosport.com about why he had called for a look into Ferrari's pace.

"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."

There are suggestions that Bridgestone are planning to revert their tyres back to similar specifications that were used in 2004 - ironically Ferrari's most dominant campaign of recent years.

Briatore thinks that such a move would be wrong and believes that Bridgestone should be forced to make all new tyres that are completely different in their characteristics to anything that they have produced before.

"If we decide to go with one manufacturer, it must be in the right way," said Briatore. "We want to slow the cars down. Max (Mosley) has the possibility to control the speed of the car through the tyres. It is cheaper for us but we need to be fair.

"We need to make sure that somebody working with Bridgestone for the last five years, that they do not have the advantage."

And Briatore even believes that a switch to slick tyres next year, rather than in 2008, would be one way to ensure that Bridgestone's current teams cannot carry forward any data they currently have.

"For me it would be fantastic," explained Briatore about the idea of using slicks. "Whatever we do we need to do it quickly because we need to design the car.

"I am completely open to whatever the rules are. We need to be correct and we need to make sure that no one has an advantage. I don't ask for anything special for us, I want the competition to be fair and the tyre is so predominant.

"And it is not only me that thinks this. Everybody in Michelin has the same problems. I think even my friend Ron Dennis thinks like this."

When asked whether he has spoken to Mosley about his concerns, Briatore responded: "I think Max knows this already. I don't think it is so difficult."

Briatore is currently weighing up whether to continue with Renault next year, and would likely only commit his future if he was sure that the team would be competitive.