HOCKENHEIM, Germany (Reuters) - Formula One has published a tender which would see the sport switch to lower-profile tyres from 2021 when other rules are also due to change.
Tyre blankets, used to raise temperatures for better grip and performance before cars leave the pits, are also set to be banned.
Previous attempts to get rid of the warmers have failed due to safety concerns but the aim is for the new specification tyres to overcome that problem.
"Tyres should provide safe performance when leaving the pits cold," the tender, buried deep inside the website of the governing FIA http://www.fia.com, stated.
The document for a sole provider from 2020-2023 envisages a switch from the current 13 inch wheel rims to 18 inch ones in 2021 with narrower front tyres.
Pirelli are the current sole supplier and any company seeking to replace them faces the added cost of having to design one type for 2020 and then a new one for the following three years.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
