Known for its style, speed and performance marketing values, Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is a multinational company based in Milan, Italy, listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1922, with a temporary privatization period by the consortium led by the Chinese state-owned enterprise ChemChina.
Pirelli reports that it achieved a top score in sustainability with the Auto Components and Automotive sectors in S&P Global’s 2023 Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The news emerged from the results published by S&P Global, which is also the basis for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability indices.
The competition between the Formula 1 drivers and constructors has been all but over for most of the second half of the 2023 season as Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Red Bull dominated from the start. Preparations for 2024 will commence in earnest moments after the chequered flag signifies the end of the Abu Dhabi grand prix, as the teams proceed immediately to testing at Yas Marina. Exclusive tyre supplier Pirelli will supply a predetermined allocation of compounds to teams, which will run two cars, for testing on the Tuesday following the weekend’s grand prix action. The five compounds will remain the same as in 2023, though the hardest C0 compound will be dropped altogether from Pirelli’s F1 tyre line-up.
Pirelli’s return to the Macau GT event saw the tyre manufacturer support reigning GT World Challenge Europe champion Raffaele Marciello bringing his AMG-Mercedes career to an end with his second victory at the FIA GT World Cup. In doing so, he became the only driver to win the event twice, both times using Pirelli rubber. The 70th edition of the Macau GT took place on the same weekend Pirelli was supporting Formula 1 at the Las Vegas night race and the World Rally Championship’s closing round of 2023 at Rally Japan. The GT season continues at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi on 10 December: part of the 350 motorsport competitions that Pirelli contests each year.
Formula 1 returns to the USA for the third time in Las Vegas, the series’ first visit to the city since 1982. Tyre supplier Pirelli described the return as a “major technical challenge” – often the case when taking on a new track. The Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend in Nevada will use C3 as P Zero White hard, C4 as P Zero Yellow medium and C5 as P Zero Red soft, the softest selection of tyres in the manufacturer’s F1 range. Mario Isola, Pirelli head of motorsport, said “all the elements are in place for an extraordinary race,” previewing the weekend ahead.
Tyre supplier Pirelli is expecting a “heartfelt and hard-fought race” as well as an interesting event “from a technical point of view” at the eighth edition of Rally Japan (16-19 November), which ends the World Rally Championship season. Pirelli will supply the P Zero Hard as the prime tyre, with the P Zero Soft and Cinturato Wet also available to teams.
A years after opening Pirelli’s Digital Solutions Center in Bari is celebrating its first year of activity increasing its workforce to 80, up from the planned headcount of 50. Currently, Pirelli’s digital centre, which is run as a public-private-academic partnership totals 30 employees, mainly from the Apulia region. So far, Pirelli has invested about 4.5 million of the 9 million euros originally earmarked for the project up to 2024, part of which will be financed by the Apulia region.
The CEOs of 10 leading tyre manufacturers have gathered to confirm a two-year Tire Industry Project (TIP) workplan focused on “sustainability in the tyre lifecycle”. The plans includes targets relating to tyre-emission research and end-of-life tyre management amongst other points.
Hyundai has given its Ioniq 5 the ‘N’ treatment and yesterday announced UK specifications, pricing and technical information. Buyers of this beefed-up model will receive a car whose electric motors spin up to 21,000 rpm and provide as much as 609PS in normal conditions or 650 PS when N Grin Boost (NGB) is engaged. The 0-62 mph time is an impressive 3.4 seconds and top speed 161mph. This performance connects with the road via Pirelli tyres.
The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Pirelli Tyre S.P.A signed a joint venture (JV) agreement to build a tyre factory in Saudi Arabia. PIF will hold a 75 per cent stake in the JV with Pirelli holding the remaining 25 per cent and acting as “a strategic technology partner” offering both “technical and commercial assistance”. The plant is expected to start production in 2026.
Production of the G60/G61/G68 BMW 5 Series has commenced, and the first deliveries will begin any time now. UK-spec M Sport models of this eighth-generation BMW executive saloon come with 19-inch light alloy wheels as standard equipment, while M Sport Pro models receive 20-inch light alloy wheels. BMW UK says the enlarged diameter over its predecessor’s rims gives the vehicle an “even more sporty presence.” Options available for all versions include 20-inch and 21-inch light alloy wheels, and the BMW list of approved rims and tyres for the G60 also includes an 18-inch fitment.
In addition to the sustainability logo that we reported last month, the sidewalls of selected Pirelli tyres feature yet another new symbol. This is an elongated R that resembles the Pirelli P with two small arrows underneath, and it stands for the manufacturer’s RunForward technology.
Formula One is sticking with Pirelli as tyre supplier for the 2025 to 2027 seasons, but Bridgestone comments that both the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Formula One Group (FOG) responded favourably to its proposed “advanced innovative technology and sustainability initiatives.” Furthermore, the Japanese manufacturer doesn’t rule out throwing its hat into the F1 ring at a later date.
Pirelli and Bute Motorsport have extended the tyre manufacturer’s exclusive sole tyre supply and sponsorship agreement with the GT Cup Championship. Pirelli will remain the series’ sole supplier until 2028. The Italian tyre manufacturer has supported Bute Motorsport and the GT Cup Championship for many years, stating that the renewed collaboration solidifies the commitment from both parties to deliver high-performance racing experiences, fostering further innovation in motorsport.
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