Pirelli is to be awarded Formula 1’s next tyre contract but it is likely to be the Italian company’s last, BBC Sport has learned.
F1’s tyre supplier since 2011, Pirelli fended off competition from Japan’s Bridgestone for the new deal.
The contract runs from 2025-27, with an option for a further year in 2028.
Bridgestone was approved as a potential supplier by governing body the FIA but commercial discussions saw F1 chairman Stefano Domenicali choose Pirelli.
The deal is set to be announced in the days after this weekend’s Qatar race.
Spokespeople for Pirelli and F1 declined to comment.
Domenicali came under pressure from some quarters to choose Bridgestone, which was in F1 from 1998 until 2010 and is highly regarded across the motorsport world. And financially the two offers were similar.
But Domenicali, who was a leading figure at Ferrari when they were supplied by Bridgestone through the dominant years of Michael Schumacher and beyond, preferred to play it safe with Pirelli.
The loads created by modern F1 cars are the highest in motorsport and much greater than when Bridgestone was last in the sport – as a result of both increased downforce loads and increased car weight.
While few with experience of Bridgestone doubted it could make tyres suitable for F1, there was the feeling that time was tight for it to be sufficiently ready to supply tyres in just over a year’s time.
The fact that two different tyre specifications would be required within the first two years of the contract as a result of a change of technical regulations for the 2026 season was a further complication.
F1 knew what it had with Pirelli and did not need to take what it felt could be a risk of changing supplier.
There was also the feeling that Bridgestone had perhaps developed slightly cold feet about the deal in recent weeks.
F1’s decision was made despite Pirelli having told Domenicali that it was likely to end its involvement at the highest level of the sport after 2027.
Senior sources have confirmed to BBC Sport that this is set to be Pirelli’s last deal.
Insiders say Domenicali has discussed with Bridgestone the idea of taking over from Pirelli in 2028 but the conversations are not yet especially well developed.
Information about the new deal emerged on a difficult day for Pirelli, after the company had to impose restrictions on tyre usage at the Qatar Grand Prix upon discovering the risk of potential failure of their tyres.
