PARIS – Pirelli has agreed to a one-year extension to its current tire supply contract that will see the company continue as the official tire of Formula One through 2024.
The most recent agreement between the FIA, Formula One and Pirelli in 2018 was for the supply of a 13-inch tires during the 2020 season, followed by three consecutive seasons of 18-inch tires from 2021 to 2023 inclusive.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which also disrupted the 2020 Formula One season, forced FIA and Formula One officials to implement emergency measures that included the cancellation of tire development tests last year and the postponement of planned new technical regulations – which included 18-inch tires – from 2021 to 2022.
As a result, the current rules now state that 13-inch tires will be used during the 2021 season, with a move to 18-inch tires in 2022.
“The pandemic caused disruption across the world and Formula One was not immune from that,” said Formula One President and CEO Stefano Domenicali. “We therefore took the necessary measures last year to defer the regulations by one year to 2022. We are very proud of our partnership with Pirelli and grateful to them for their constructive approach to this timing change. Pirelli are very conscious of strategic role that the tires have in F1 and we know that they are working very hard to make sure that their products will represent the best balance between performance and durability in the new technical context. We look forward to the start of the 2021 season and we are all excited for the new cars and new 18-inch tires to hit the track under the new regulations in 2022.”
“The world of motorsport has also had to face up to the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the FIA and FOM did an extraordinary job to organise a 17-race championship in 2020,” said Pirelli Executive Vice Chairman and CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera. “We’re obviously pleased to have reached this agreement that will extend our presence at the pinnacle of world motorsport until 2024. Pirelli has been alongside Formula One for more than 70 years, since the very first race in 1950, and the company continues to invest in the highest technological levels of research and development, as shown by the introduction of 18-inch tyres from next year. Motorsport forms part of our DNA and Formula One represents an open-air laboratory that allows us to apply the know-how gained on track into our road car tyres, starting off with the Ultra High Performance range that equips the most prestigious cars in the world”.