Formula 1 will continue with a single, unified tyre supplier until at least the end of 2028 after the FIA formally activated the extension clause in its existing agreement with Pirelli.
Announced ahead of this weekend’s Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, the decision extends the Italian manufacturer’s role as the exclusive tyre partner of Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 by one additional year. It locks in continuity across the sport’s leading single-seater ladder at a time when technical stability and development alignment remain central themes.
FIA activates 2028 option
The extension is rooted in the contract signed in 2023 between Pirelli, the FIA and Formula One Management, which covered the 2025–2027 seasons and included an option for 2028. With all parties now aligned, that option has been exercised.
For Formula 1, the move is as much about operational certainty as supply. Tyres remain one of the most sensitive performance variables in the championship, and the value of continuity is particularly clear during demanding race weekends such as Barcelona, where tyre management is already a central talking point. As seen in the latest Barcelona GP FP1 session, heat and degradation can quickly define the competitive picture.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem framed the decision around stability and collaboration.
“Pirelli has been an important partner to the FIA Formula One World Championship for many years, providing a consistently high standard of performance, innovation, and safety at the highest level of our sport.”
He added: “This extension through to the end of 2028 provides stability for the championship and reflects the strong collaboration between the FIA, Formula One Group and Pirelli. Together, we continue to drive innovation and support the delivery of exciting racing for competitors, teams and fans around the world.”
Pirelli stresses strategic role
Pirelli welcomed the extension as a continuation of its long-term technical partnership with Formula 1. The company has supplied tyres to the championship since 2011 and has been involved in F1 since its inaugural race in 1950.
Executive Vice Chairman Marco Tronchetti Provera said Pirelli was pleased to extend its presence by a further year, pointing to the company’s milestone of surpassing 500 Grands Prix last year and its work on technological and innovation challenges.
“Pirelli is not just a supplier but instead a strategic partner that has been able to support the constant growth of the championship,” he said, adding that Formula 1 remains a laboratory for testing technical solutions and improving research and development processes for future road tyres.
Domenicali welcomes continuity
Formula One Group President and CEO Stefano Domenicali also underlined the importance of Pirelli’s technical consistency as the sport continues to refine its regulatory framework.
“We’ve enjoyed an incredible history and partnership with Pirelli, relying on their technical brilliance and focus on performance, innovation, and sustainability for many years,” Domenicali said.
He added that Pirelli’s commitment to quality gives teams and the series it supplies confidence, describing the extension as another example of F1 working with expert partners whose experience helps deliver the spectacle on track.
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