Pirelli to continue as Formula One tire supplier through 2027, getting nod over Bridgestone

May 16, 2024

Pirelli will continue to supply tires to Formula One until the end of 2027 after winning the latest tender, the series announced. Here’s what you need to know:

Pirelli has been F1’s sole tire supplier since 2011, but its contract was set to expire at the end of 2024.
Japanese tire manufacturer Bridgestone submitted a competitive offer to take over the tire supply when the next contract cycle begins in 2025.
But after considering both bids, F1 and its governing body, the FIA, opted to stick with Pirelli for 2025-27, with an option for the 2028 season.

F1 opts for continuity

Since taking over F1’s tire supply in 2011, Pirelli has established itself as one of the sport’s most important partners. The performance of the tires has a huge impact on teams’ strategies and the outcome of races, making the tire tender a very important contract.

Pirelli has largely gone unchallenged in its time as F1’s sole supplier, but faced its most serious threat yet when Bridgestone lodged a serious bid to take over the contract.

Bridgestone’s last F1 stint ran from 1997 until 2010 when it established a reputation for being able to produce tires that drivers could push for long periods of the race, instead of focusing on managing the levels of wear and degradation — a characteristic that has been present at times during Pirelli’s supply cycle.

In recent years, Pirelli has returned to a more durable tire that can be pushed harder by the drivers through races, as well as shifting to an 18-inch wheel size in 2022, up from 13 inches, as part of sweeping technical changes in F1.

The FIA considered the technical merits of Pirelli and Bridgestone’s proposals for 2025, while F1 looked at the commercial bids from both sides before ultimately deciding to stick with Pirelli.

“When we came to a decision, we felt (staying with Pirelli) was the right thing to progress,” said Stefano Domenicali, F1’s CEO and president.

“There are a lot of technical challenges in the future. There are also a lot of commercial opportunities, and we believe the decision we’ve taken is the best for Formula One.”

Pirelli’s technical challenges

This new contract will take Pirelli into the next technical era of F1, due to start in 2026. There will be significant revisions of the power units and car designs that could extend to the wheel sizes and tire requirements.

Domenicali said F1 was working closely with the FIA to consider potential changes to the cars, such as reducing the weight and adjusting the shape of the chassis. He said the 2026 technical rules must be finalized by the spring of next year.

“Everything is relevant, and everything is relevant to make sure we together can find the right product to maximize the performance of the car, because at the end of the day, the tire is what connects the car to the ground,” Domenicali said.

Pirelli is also working with F1 teams to develop a tire that does not require warming in tire blankets in order to improve the sport’s sustainability. Despite extensive testing this year, F1 teams voted against a ban on tire blankets for 2024 amid concerns from many about the impact of using unheated tires in colder temperatures.

Pirelli has already introduced a wet tire that does not require blankets but is refining the compound due to complaints from the drivers this year about their usability in heavy rain.

At last weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix, the FIA was forced to implement safety measures after Pirelli found internal tire damage resulting from the aggressive curbs and high speeds. It resulted in all drivers serving three mandatory pit stops in the race. The tires used in Qatar have since returned to Italy for Pirelli to conduct further analysis.

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(Photo: Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP)

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