Pirelli to produce FSC tyres for Formula One

F1 Grand Prix, GP Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit

On the eve of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, Pirelli have announced that they will produce FSC tyres for Formula One as part of their continuous push for sustainability.

The Milan-based tyre manufacturer has become the first company to produce a complete range of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) - certified tyres for motorsport. Starting from this year, all the tyres used in Formula One will be marked with the FSC logo. This certifies that all the natural rubber within the tyre complies with stringent environmental and social criteria required by the FSC, the world-leading non-governmental organisation for sustainable forestry.

This certification, announced on October 10 last year when Pirelli renewed its agreement as the Global Tyre Partner of Formula 1
until at least 2027, will apply to all the tyres used on track, throughout the season, including pre-season testing. The FSC-certified tyres have been introduced following an intense development programme that began in 2022, which showed clear results in terms of both reliability and performance.

The Milan-based tyre supplier has put a number of initiatives in place in recent years. The Italian company has already realized that all the tyres used during a Grand Prix weekend in F1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy – are transformed into secondary raw materials after use, for multiple circular uses. Moreover, the electrical energy used to make F1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy tyres comes exclusively from 100% renewable certified sources.

The design technologies use virtual methods which not only considerably reduces development time, but above all the number of physical prototypes needed, cutting down on materials used. Moreover, the elimination of tyre warmers in Formula 1 for full wet covers, pioneered in Monaco last year, reduces the use of electrical energy. Pirelli has established more streamlined logistics over the past years, with sea freight now the preferred method of transport over air freight, which cuts down on logistics emissions.

Pirelli Executive Vice President Motorsport, Giovanni Tronchetti Provera added: "The debut of our FSC-certified tyres in the world of motorsport represents a significant moment in Pirelli’s sustainability journey. In 2021 we were first to equip a road car with FSC-certified tyres, and now we are proud to be the first do so in motorsport as well. Formula 1 is an extraordinary open-air laboratory for us.

"It allows us not only to design and test new technology as well as improve research and development processes for roadgoing tyres, but also to unite maximum performance, typical of the demanding motorsport environment, with commitment towards an increasingly sustainable world.”

Speaking of the announcement, FIA Sustainability and D&I Director Sara Mariani said: “Pirelli’s implementation of FSC-certified tyres in the FIA Formula One World Championship is a strong statement of the company’s commitment to sustainability – not just to its own targets but also in its alignment with the goals of the FIA’s Environmental Strategy, which seeks to reduce motorsport impact and reinforce the sport as a catalyst for sustainable innovation and technology.

"Those ambitions were fundamental to the Formula 1 tyre supply tender launched last year by the FIA for 2025 and beyond and following its successful bid Pirelli has admirably already begun to innovate in pursuit of even greater sustainability with the introduction of FSC-certified tyres in 2024.”

Expanding on the announcement, Formula 1 Head of ESG Ellen Jones added: “Formula 1 is proud to collaborate with Pirelli on sustainability topics at every level, as the introduction of FSC-certified tyres shows.

"his is an important and positive step forward, as well as another example of how our partners are demonstrating their commitment to sustainable practices as we continue our mission towards Net Zero by 2030. We can’t wait to see the new FSC-certified tyres in action this weekend in Bahrain and then throughout the rest of the season.”