PirelliTeam·Pirelli’s grip on Formula 1’s tyre supply stretches into an 18th consecutive season after the FIACompetition·FIA activated an option to extend the Italian company’s current deal through 2028.
The existing contract, signed in 2023, covers the 2025, 2026 and 2027 seasons and includes a one‑year extension clause. The FIACompetition·FIA has now exercised that option, confirming PirelliTeam·Pirelli as the exclusive tyre supplier not only for Formula 1, but also for Formula 2 and Formula 3 until at least the end of the 2028 campaign.
From a sporting and technical perspective, the decision locks in a critical variable as Formula 1 continues to evolve its regulations. Teams now know that the construction philosophy, operating windows and development roadmap will remain in PirelliTeam·Pirelli’s hands for the next four full seasons, providing a stable foundation for car design and long‑term performance planning. In a championship where tyre management often decides race strategy and title battles, that continuity is significant.
PirelliTeam·Pirelli has been Formula 1’s sole tyre supplier since 2011, when it succeeded BridgestoneTeam·Bridgestone. Over that period the company has been tasked with delivering compounds that support aggressive racing targets, from deliberate degradation phases to the current push for more sustainable, robust products. The tyres have attracted criticism at times from drivers, teams and fans, but the governing body and commercial rights holder have consistently renewed the partnership, underlining the value they place on PirelliTeam·Pirelli’s ability to meet complex technical and logistical demands across a global calendar.
The extension also matters in the boardroom. By triggering the 2028 option, the FIACompetition·FIA effectively resets the timeline for any aspiring rival suppliers. Brands such as BridgestoneTeam·Bridgestone and HankookTeam·Hankook have previously been linked with potential bids, but the new horizon means that no challenger can realistically enter Formula 1 before 2029 at the earliest. That gives PirelliTeam·Pirelli a clear runway to implement its development programmes and sustainability commitments without the immediate pressure of a tender.
For the championship’s organisers, tyre stability simplifies the next regulatory cycle. Any planned changes to car design, race formats or environmental targets can now be aligned with a known supplier, rather than built around the uncertainties of a new technical partner. For teams and drivers, the absence of a tyre war keeps the competitive focus on chassis, power unit and operations, rather than on supplier politics.
The broader historical context underlines the scale of this decision. If PirelliTeam·Pirelli reaches the end of 2028 in Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3, it will complete an unbroken run of 18 seasons as the sport’s tyre supplier, a modern era defined by a single manufacturer shaping how the fastest single‑seaters in the world connect to the asphalt. For potential newcomers, that creates a high benchmark for both technical expertise and global race support.
Strategically, the message is clear: the FIACompetition·FIA and Formula 1 value predictable, long‑term partnerships in core performance areas. Any future tender, likely closer to the end of this newly extended deal, will start from a landscape dominated by PirelliTeam·Pirelli’s data, infrastructure and experience. For now, however, the immediate picture is settled. Teams know who will supply their tyres, the rule‑makers know who will support their technical ambitions, and the next phase of Formula 1’s tyre story will continue to be written in PirelliTeam·Pirelli’s colours.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli with the Pirelli pole position award at the 2026 F1 Chinese Grand Prix. ZUMA Press Wire/IMAGO
ZUMA Press Wire/IMAGOThis article was generated by AI (sonar-pro). Learn more.
