Pirelli boosts motorsport testing capabilities as FIA seeks F1 tyre supplier

With the installation of a new High Speed Testing Machine within its research and development department, Pirelli is now equipped to test tyres at speeds of around and even above 300 mph. The tyre maker says this enables it to “improve tyre safety on the world’s fastest cars,” whether they compete in motorsport or drive on regular roads. The Italian marque shared news of this enhanced testing capability shortly after the FIA issued an invitation to tender for future F1 tyre supply.

This new 500 km/h High Speed Testing Machine sits within the indoor testing facility at Pirelli’s Milan Bicocca headquarters alongside two existing units that are respectively capable of reaching 370 and 450 km/h (230 and 280 mph). While both older machines are typically used for road car tyre tests, Pirelli intends to primarily employ the new machine in testing for competition use.

“Pirelli’s presence as a supplier of more than 350 motorsport events required the introduction of machinery capable of reaching even more extreme limits for products that are used in truly challenging contexts such as racing, or record attempts with road cars,” states the tyre maker. “In these environments, safety requirements are even more stringent and need to be guaranteed through bespoke testing processes. The High Speed Testing Machine is also capable of managing extremely high torque and acceleration inputs, such as those seen with a hypercar driving on a circuit.”

According to Pirelli, the High Speed Testing Machine is designed to evaluate tyre behaviour at high speed and guarantee reliability when the tyres progress to the next stage of outdoor testing. “Thanks to this machine, it’s possible to test tyres as if they were being used on the straights and corners of the Autodromo di Monza or the Nürburgring Nordschleife – but in simulated conditions that are even more severe than those found in reality. All this in order to ensure the integrity of the tyre over a wide range of usage conditions, with an ample margin of safety.”

New F1 tyre supplier from 2025?

With Pirelli intending to use the latest High Speed Testing Machine in its motorsport tyre development, the manufacturer may hope the unit provides an edge when submitting a new F1 supply offer. On 20 March the FIA published an invitation to tender for sole tyre supply to the F1, F2 and F3 championships during the 2025 to 2027 seasons, with the option of extending supply to cover the 2028 season.

Tyres used in 2025 will be familiar to Pirelli, as the FIA states that those supplied for during that season shall have the “same dimensions as that used in the 2023 championship.” Front tyre sizes will thus be: Dry 305/720-18, intermediate 305/725-18 and wet 305/730-18. Rear tyre sizes will be: Dry 405/720-18, intermediate 405/725-18 and wet 405/730-18. A decision on whether tyre heating will be employed in a reduced form or eliminated altogether will be reached by the end of this year.

Looking beyond 2025, the motorsport association states that it and the selected tyre supplier will agree upon “any changes necessary for the change in regulations in 2026.” It stresses that tyre dimensions “may be reviewed periodically to adapt to car evolution and regulation changes.”

Tender submissions must reach the FIA by 15 May 2023. A decision regarding approved bidders that will be submitted to the promoters is scheduled to arrive on 16 June 2023. Once this first phase of the tendering process is completed, the FIA will publish the timelines applicable to phases two and three.