Ferrari says F1 teams not panicking over 2014 tyre supplier
Ferrari says that teams are not unduly concerned by the fact that Formula 1 has yet to secure a new tyre supply contract for next year
Pirelli has been seeking an extension of its current deal, but no agreements are yet in place with the teams and the FIA has yet to sanction the move - or open up the official tyre tender process.
With Pirelli well aware of the timeframe needed to prepare tyres for next season, a deal needs to be sorted out in the next few months if F1 is to avoid the risk of being left without a supplier.
Although time is now pressing, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali says that the situation is not yet alarming for F1's competitors because it is inconceivable there will not be a tyre contract in place.
Formula 1's brewing tyre dilemma
"For sure, we cannot run without tyres unless we go back to the Flintstones's time," said Domenicali, when asked if he was worried about what would happen if Pirelli does not sort out a deal.
"That is a situation that honestly I don't think will happen.
"Because there is no alternative we will find very soon a solution and I am sure that Pirelli has already given the sign that it wants to be here in the future.
"That's positive, because no tyres, no championship! I'm confident that in the next couple of weeks this situation will be sorted out."
Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery remains upbeat about the situation, and has refused to lay down a deadline to the sport's chiefs for when a decision needs to be made.
"I have tried to avoid giving a deadline date because that puts an unnecessary tension into the system," he explained.
"But if you are a reasonably pragmatic person, you know a company like Pirelli cannot hang on forever. I have a pretty good idea when it is going to be and I have urged the teams to decide very quickly.
"We are now in April. We have a lot of people involved in the F1 project and we have a lot of other projects around the world we want to do - so if resources are not used in F1 then there are other projects we can work on.
"We have made a proposal that we can sustain in the current business environment, and if is not [acceptable] then we need to know."
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