Mar.22 (GMM) Mario Isola, Pirelli’s F1 boss, has hit back at circulating paddock rumours suggesting the Italian company will exit Formula 1 at the end of 2027.
Last year, following a challenge by Bridgestone, Pirelli secured yet another contract with Formula 1 to remain the sport’s sole tyre supplier.
But it’s now being rumoured that Bridgestone, a Japanese company with a rich history in F1, will definitely take over from 2028 as Pirelli exits.
“I don’t believe the rumours that there will be a change in tyre supplier from 2027,” Isola is quoted by the Japanese outlet as-web.jp.
“We have had the tyre supply contract since 2011 so we’ve been in that role for a long time and I wonder who would have spread rumours like that.”
Isola insists that the benefits of being in Formula 1 still outweigh the costs, and thinks the rumoured interest of rival brands like Bridgestone is a good sign about the sport’s health.
“Each year we take on new challenges and we are not yet bored with them,” he said. “Obviously, the length of our contracts has been very long and I understand why other manufacturers have entered the market and what they want.
“So this is positive in itself, but it does not mean that we will leave in 2027,” added the Italian. “Pirelli will re-examine its position at a later date.”