Bridgestone’s Formula E return fuels wider number-one ambition

Bridgestone is returning to an FIA world championship through Formula E, with chief executive Yasuhiro Morita presenting the partnership as part of a wider effort to reclaim the top position in the tyre industry.

The Japanese manufacturer will become Formula E’s sole tyre supplier for its Gen4 era, replacing Hankook under a four-season agreement running from 2026/27 to 2029/30. It is Bridgestone’s first return to an FIA world championship since leaving Formula 1 at the end of 2010.

The deal puts a product at the centre of Bridgestone’s motorsport involvement again. Morita said the company’s Olympic and Paralympic support had provided a strong global platform, but did not connect as directly with developing its technology. He said employees had strongly supported a return to top-level motorsport, with his estimate putting that backing at about 99% of colleagues.

The new partnership arrives as Formula E prepares for its Gen4 period. Bridgestone has already unveiled its Gen4 Formula E tyres, while the championship has also set out its Gen4 sprint format.

Morita sees the deal as part of a climb back to the top

Morita joined Bridgestone in April 1996, before the company entered Formula 1 in 1997. He recalled that Bridgestone began its F1 involvement as a challenger and later became the leading tyre supplier in the series.

Today, however, Bridgestone is second among global tyre manufacturers, behind Michelin. The company previously held the leading position for 11 years before losing it in 2021. Morita described the current ranking as a reason to pursue the same ambition he had when joining the business: becoming number one again.

For him, the Formula E agreement is connected to that goal, and he characterised the company’s return to championship motorsport as an emotional moment. The deal also gives the company a setting in which its tyre technology is directly involved in competition.

A Formula 1 return remains a separate possibility

Bridgestone’s Formula E commitment may not be its only motorsport target. RacingNews365 reported, citing sources, that the manufacturer is pushing for a Formula 1 return and is targeting the tender for the 2029 season. The report also said exploratory discussions took place in the paddock at the Singapore and United States Grands Prix in recent weeks.

That remains distinct from the confirmed Formula E agreement: Bridgestone has secured the Gen4 supply role, while a return to Formula 1 is described as an ambition under consideration.