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Teams approve plan to leave early season tyre choices up to Pirelli

Formula 1 teams have agreed to leave tyre choices for the first flyaway races of 2017 totally up to Pirelli, Motorsport.com has learned.

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2017 Pirelli tyre detail
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(L to R): Bernie Ecclestone, with Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director on the grid
Pirelli tyres
2016/2017 Pirelli tyres comparison

With F1 switching to wider tyres next season, the current rules that allow teams to pick their tyre compound choices has thrown up some unforeseen headaches for the start of the campaign.

A 14-week notification period for teams to pick their tyres would mean them trying to choose the right rubber compounds well before they had even tested the tyres for the first time.

If the Australian Grand Prix secures a March 19 slot for next season, it would mean teams having to pick their tyres in early December – which will be just days after the design concepts have been signed off at a post-season Abu Dhabi Pirelli test.

F1 teams will not get any chance to test the rubber on actual 2017 machinery until February next year – by which stage they in theory would have needed to pick tyres for the opening handful of races.

As previously reported, the potential for a logistical nightmare prompted Pirelli to push for a lock down of tyre choices for the first flyaways – as more variety of rubber would lead to longer production schedules.

Furthermore, there had been concerns expressed by some teams that the three outfits testing the tyres – Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – would have a potentially huge advantage from any extra knowledge they had of the tyres if choices were left free.

As a result, teams have agreed for the tyre choices for the first flyaways of 2017, which could be up to five races, to be made totally by Pirelli.

Efforts are now being made to sort out the final details of how the temporary system will work, which will also require rules changes, so will have to go through the F1 Commission and FIA World Motor Sport Council.

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