Pirelli and Ford Rallye Sport partnership comes to an end

After two years of successful collaboration, Pirelli and Ford Rallye Sport partnership comes to an end

Milan, December 13, 2002 - After two years of successful collaboration, the partnership between Pirelli and Ford Rallye Sport in the FIA World Rally Championship comes to an end.

Together the partners have won six WRC races, three in a row in 2001 (Argentina, Cyprus and Greece) and three in 2002 (Argentina, Kenya and Greece). " We have enjoyed two successful years with Pirelli and thank them for their support. Together we have made some major improvements and this has seen us finish runner-up in the world championship for two years in a row as well as winning six rounds during this time" , said Ford Rallye Sport Director Malcolm Wilson.

At the end of the 2002 season both parties had the opportunity to re-discuss the partnership and it was decided in the interests of both parties to follow different strategic directions.

Pirelli has a long and successful Motorsport history and in particular in the world rally championship. " The WRC has always been considered in Pirelli a fundamental source of technology creation for the development of road tyre products, in fact a genuine Reserch and Development test bed'', said Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery. " These last two seasons with Ford Rallye Sport, together with Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz - with whom Pirelli has already won in the past three world drivers championships -, has allowed us to increase and expand our sporting experience and know how of competition tyres" .

" For 2003 we are pleased to strengthen our successful collaboration with the Subaru World Rally Team" , added Paul Hembery. " Our intensified development programs, together with the Prodrive engineering excellence, give us belief that we will provide the ideal platform for Tommi Makinen and Petter Solberg to excel in the coming WRC season" .