Even though Avon and Pirelli have also expressed interest in replacing Bridgestone when it leaves at the end of the season, Germany's Auto Motor und Sport said Michelin is the favorite after watering down some of its earlier demands. The publication said a three-year deal through 2013 is likely, with every team paying the French marque â‚©3 million per season.

The deal will also see Michelin branding on the cars, driver overalls and around the grand prix circuits, but the wheel diameter will not be immediately switched from 13 inches to 18 inches, as previously suggested. Michelin will reportedly provide less tires per car per weekend than is currently the case, and three different compounds - hard, medium and soft, with the teams able to select which compounds are used.

Representatives of the Italian marque Pirelli will make a presentation to the teams in Spain this weekend, and have been touted as the likely supplier to the GP2 field beginning next year.

04/11/10 Michelin would return to Formula 1 if three major conditions are met according to a senior company spokesman. During a media event at the 8 Heures Du Castellet Le Mans Series race the firms head of four wheel competition activities revealed the three major areas.

"We are interested in it but it must be right, who know what will happen" he revealed. "Certain things have to be done, we must have competition, we do not want to be the only supplier. Also we need to be able to use the opportunity of competition to improve our tire technology. For example our new Pilot 3 road tires had technology developed for Le Mans in them. We need this from Formula 1. Finally it must have the possibility to improve the greenness, perhaps we would like something like the Green X Challenge in F1 something to help ecology."