ISTANBUL, May 7 (Reuters) - Tyre supplier Pirelli is prepared to stay in Formula One long term providing the price is right, company chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera said on Saturday.
The Italian, whose firm have replaced Japan's Bridgestone as sole provider
on a three-year contract from this season, told reporters at the Turkish Grand Prix that he was pleased with the situation after three races.
"It is a long term project, if it is affordable," he said after meeting the drivers at a paddock photocall. "If it is a formula that is not too costly, we are ready to continue."
"It is always depending on costs. We left because of the cost, we came back because it was affordable and we will continue to stay if the teams are providing us the opportunity to stay.
"I think the experience we are making makes us more comfortable in staying in. And then it depends on costs," he added.
Tronchetti said each of the 12 teams paid Pirelli 1.25 million euros for the supply and logistics of tyres, and the company's main cost was advertising.
He was confident involvement in the sport would help boost sales in key markets, with new circuits in America and Russia set to appear on the race calendar in 2012 and 2014 respectively while India makes its debut this season.
Pirelli, whose Formula One tyres are made at a factory near the Istanbul Park circuit, last competed in the sport in 1991 and won the contract after Bridgestone announced they were departing.
The tyres have very different characteristics to the Japanese rubber, with Pirelli saying they were asked to help liven up the show and make races more exciting with a product that would wear out faster and produce more pitstops.
"We were asked to create more emotions and we did it, with safe tyres lasting enough but not too much, which is really very difficult," declared Tronchetti.
"We reached the target, which is much more difficult than to build tyres that last for the entire grand prix. The tyres perform well.
"What we did in nine months proved that we are ready to do anything," he added. "At the beginning some people were saying it's impossible, it takes two years, you will have problems, the beginning will be a mess.
"It has been a good result. So touch wood we go ahead in this way."
Tronchetti said Pirelli would still be interested in staying even if the sport allowed competition between suppliers, reviving the 'tyre wars' of old.
"We are open. It's always a question of costs. It can be challenging," he said.
"It's easier in a sense because to produce tyres for few teams you can make the fine-tuning with each of them. It's more difficult to create tyres that are good for everybody and that fits the needs."
The Italian, whose firm have replaced Japan's Bridgestone as sole provider
on a three-year contract from this season, told reporters at the Turkish Grand Prix that he was pleased with the situation after three races.
"It is a long term project, if it is affordable," he said after meeting the drivers at a paddock photocall. "If it is a formula that is not too costly, we are ready to continue."
"It is always depending on costs. We left because of the cost, we came back because it was affordable and we will continue to stay if the teams are providing us the opportunity to stay.
"I think the experience we are making makes us more comfortable in staying in. And then it depends on costs," he added.
Tronchetti said each of the 12 teams paid Pirelli 1.25 million euros for the supply and logistics of tyres, and the company's main cost was advertising.
He was confident involvement in the sport would help boost sales in key markets, with new circuits in America and Russia set to appear on the race calendar in 2012 and 2014 respectively while India makes its debut this season.
Pirelli, whose Formula One tyres are made at a factory near the Istanbul Park circuit, last competed in the sport in 1991 and won the contract after Bridgestone announced they were departing.
The tyres have very different characteristics to the Japanese rubber, with Pirelli saying they were asked to help liven up the show and make races more exciting with a product that would wear out faster and produce more pitstops.
"We were asked to create more emotions and we did it, with safe tyres lasting enough but not too much, which is really very difficult," declared Tronchetti.
"We reached the target, which is much more difficult than to build tyres that last for the entire grand prix. The tyres perform well.
"What we did in nine months proved that we are ready to do anything," he added. "At the beginning some people were saying it's impossible, it takes two years, you will have problems, the beginning will be a mess.
"It has been a good result. So touch wood we go ahead in this way."
Tronchetti said Pirelli would still be interested in staying even if the sport allowed competition between suppliers, reviving the 'tyre wars' of old.
"We are open. It's always a question of costs. It can be challenging," he said.
"It's easier in a sense because to produce tyres for few teams you can make the fine-tuning with each of them. It's more difficult to create tyres that are good for everybody and that fits the needs."
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