Pirelli 'approaching' 2014 F1 contract

May 27 (GMM) Pirelli is closer to inking a deal to stay in Formula One beyond 2013, following a meeting in Monaco.

After Paul Hembery warned that Pirelli could quit F1 due to the delayed negotiations, Spain's AS sports newspaper reports that Pirelli president Marco Tronchetti Provera met with Bernie Ecclestone.

"We are approaching the conditions (to sign)," Provera said, "so we'll see.

"The fact is that Bernie is happy with us and also our company is still interested in the F1 project, so I hope we can get to an agreement soon and all will be well," he added.

Pirelli tyres

Photo by: XPB Images

Tronchetti Provera said he is proud of Pirelli's contribution to the sport so far.

"We were asked to add more 'show' to the races, and I think the races are better now than before our arrival, so I think in that sense we have succeeded," he insisted.

As for the controversy caused by Pirelli's heavily degrading compounds in 2013, he explained: "We have developed the tyres with a car several years old, and with not enough days of testing."

Meanwhile, it seems Pirelli will introduce some changes to its tyre design for Canada in two weeks after all, despite the opposition of some teams, including Force India.

"I did it like the old days," Bernie Ecclestone is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I told the teams that they should be united.

"Pirelli will modify its tyres as planned," the F1 chief executive revealed.