Former F1 tyre supplier plots surprise comeback after two decades
A former F1 tyre supplier is reportedly plotting a sensational comeback.
Bridgestone is reportedly pushing to secure a surprise comeback to supply Formula 1 with tyres.
Italian manufacturer Pirelli has been the exclusive tyre supplier to F1 since 2011 and has a contract running through until at least the end of the 2028 season.
As well as F1, Pirelli also supplies tyres for support championships Formula 2, Formula 3 and F1 Academy.
In June this year, F1’s governing body the FIA exercised an option to extend the current supply deal through to the end of 2028.
That means that 2029 would be the earliest another tyre manufacturer could win the tender.
According to RacingNews365, Bridgestone officials have been present at several grands prix in recent months, including at the last two races in Singapore and the United States.
The Japanese manufacturer is said to be keen to return to F1, having last supplied the world championship in 2010.
Bridgestone famously competed in an F1 tyre war with Michelin between 1997 and 2006, before it took over as the exclusive tyre supplier from 2007 for four seasons.
Bridgestone will takeover as the official tyre supplier for the Formula E world championship starting from the upcoming 2026/27 season.
Pirelli, meanwhile, will become the single tyre supplier for MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE starting in 2027.
It is not the first time a rival tyre manufacturer has expressed interest in taking over from Pirelli in F1, with Michelin unsuccessfully vying for the tender from 2017.
F1 drivers have frequently criticised Pirelli’s tyres over the years for various issues, with the company’s full-wet tyres often bearing the brunt of the biggest complaints in recent times.
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