Pirelli will replace Bridgestone as Formula One's sole tire supplier for three years from 2011, the governing International Automobile Federation (FIA) said Wednesday. “The sole supplier will undertake to strictly respect the sporting and technical regulations implemented by the FIA,” it added in a statement after a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Geneva. Japan's Bridgestone had announced last year that they would quit the sport at the end of the season. Italy's Pirelli and French company Michelin, which was involved in the sport until the end of 2006 but did not want to be sole suppliers, had been the frontrunners to take over with Cooper/Avon also interested. However, the majority of the teams favored the Italian company who last supplied F1 with tires in the 1990s. Pirelli said it did not expect the decision to impact on its financial targets. “The current economic climate has led to a realistic and collaborative approach with all the teams, ensuring that manufacturing and logistical costs are shared fairly,” the company said in a statement. The World Council also approved a number of other technical measures for 2011, including ‘driver adjustable bodywork' and the return of the ‘107 percent rule' for the slowest drivers in Saturday qualifying. “From 2011, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107 percent of the fastest Q1 (first session) qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in the race,” the FIA said. “Under exceptional circumstances, however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.” In the event of several drivers being accepted by the stewards in such a manner, the grid order will be decided by the officials. Formula One has three new teams this season, who struggled to match the leading cars' pace in the opening races but have made progress since, with Lotus in particular now challenging some of the established teams. The regulation was originally introduced to keep out cars and drivers who could be dangerously slow but was scrapped at the end of 2002 when the qualifying system changed. The governing body said adjustable bodywork could be activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race and “for the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the race” once he has completed two laps.
