One by One, Companies Claim No F1 Interest

So now that Bridgestone has opted out after the 2010 season, which company will step up to supply race tyres for Formula One?

Three key names have gone by the wayside as Goodyear, Pirelli and Michelin say they are not interested. Pirelli, which two years ago had indicated an interest in returning to F1, said it will focus on its World Rally Championship and GT racing efforts. Michelin, which pulled out of F1 in 2006, told media earlier this week that it had no interest in returning. Goodyear, which had once been a major supplier before leaving in 1998 and now focuses its attention on NASCAR, related the same message.

Goodyear, though, did not specifically rule out its Dunlop brand, which has a storied history in F1. A number of other brand names have been bandied about, including Kumho, which began a F1 tyre development effort five years ago, and Hankook, which has been active in GT racing.

Though 2010 is still a long way away and companies have been known to change their minds, one has to wonder if the current economic turmoil coupled with past histories between tyremakers and FIA, might leave F1 with no tyre options  (Tire Review).