Pirelli’s F1 History

The history of Pirelli in Formula One

At the recent World Motorsport Council meeting, the FIA confirmed that Pirelli will supply the control tyre to Formula One in 2011. The Italian company has a proud history in motorsport having won its first international race more then 100 years ago, and is currently involved in the World Rally Championship, the World Superbike Championship, and various sportscar categories including the American Grand Am series.

Pirelli first built racing tyres in 1901 and didn’t take long to start winning major races. The company was at the forefront of tyre technology with experience manufacturing a large number of different rubber products. Pirelli is responsible for the basic tyre design used by almost every type of racing car today having invented low profile and wide radial tyres.

Next year will not be the first time that Pirelli has taken part in Formula One. The company supplied rubber for the inaugural World Championship in 1950 and was the most successful tyre manufacturer in the sport until Dunlop surpassed their record of 45 victories in 1963.

It is a history that Pirelli will be keen to promote as they embark on a new chapter in Formula One.

1950 – 1959

Pirelli were the pioneers of early racing tyre technology and their belted ‘Cinturato’ design in the fifties was revolutionary. They supplied tyres to the big Italian teams of Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Maserati, and won every F1 race except for one in the first four years of the World Championship. It wasn’t until Mercedes joined the series in 1954 with Continental that Pirelli’s dominance was challenged.

By the end of the fifties, Alfa Romeo and Maserati had withdrawn from Grand Prix racing, and Ferrari switched to Englebert tyres, leaving Pirelli with no presence in the sport.

1981 – 1986

Pirelli returned to F1 in 1981 providing tyres to Toleman, Arrows and Fittipaldi, and later worked with a number of other small teams. The company had little success until they began supplying rubber to Benetton and Brabham in 1985. Despite taking Grand Prix victories with both teams, Pirelli withdrew from the sport at the end of 1986.

1989 – 1991

Pirelli again returned in the late eighties supplying tyres to a number of small Italian outfits, and not surprisingly they were unsuccessful. The company started working with Benetton in 1991 and won the Canadian Grand Prix when both Williams cars hit trouble - Patrese suffering form a Goodyear puncture on the abrasive circuit. Pirelli exited F1 at the end of that year without the adequate funding to continue and left Goodyear as the only tyre manufacturer in the sport until Bridgestone joined in 1997.

2011 and beyond

Pirelli have confirmed they will adopt an aggressive approach to tyres in 2011 in an effort to improve the racing. Interestingly, the hardest compound of F1 tyre will also be used in the GP2 series which will give young drivers and opportunity to familiarise themselves with the rubber.

Posted by Martin Porter. - Follow him on twitter @mpondaweb.

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