A number can mark a milestone. But in Formula 1, it can also become a story: of drivers and engineers, of danger and decisions, of spectators and shared rituals, of research and precision. The presentation of the book A Stir of the Soul: Pirelli’s 500 GPs in the F1 World Championship, edited by the Pirelli Foundation and published by Marsilio Arte, took place today in the conference room of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as part of the 2026 Grand Prix. The volume celebrates Pirelli’s 500 races in the World Championship through a rich sequence of images and texts. Many materials come from the Pirelli Historical Archive.

The event brought together Marco Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli Executive Vice President and Chairman of Fondazione Pirelli; Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1®; H. E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President, who contributed via video;Jean Todt, United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety; and Nick Heidfeld, former Formula 1 driver, with journalist Tom Clarkson as moderator. During the event, the speakers reflected on the world of Formula 1 and on Pirelli’s relationship with motorsport, each bringing their own testimony and perspective. The result was a journey across eras, circuits, and technical as well as historical aspects, presenting Formula 1 as a powerful form of contemporary imagery and as a story of industry, innovation, and visual culture, looking ahead to future chapters with the same passion that marked its beginnings.

The book also celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship and reconstructs a story within its history. It begins at Silverstone on 13 May 1950, the day the World Championship was born. From that moment on, Pirelli has made its mark in three main periods (1950–1958; 1981–1991; and from 2011 onwards as Global Tyre Partner of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship). Alongside the protagonists on the track – from Alberto Ascari to Juan Manuel Fangio, to Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet, through to Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen – the book also reveals the work of the technicians, engineers, and mechanics who make every Grand Prix possible. A world of experts who play a crucial role in shaping the competition. The volume is given a distinctive touch by a previously unpublished photographic reportage by Darren Heath devoted to the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. This contemporary section, created for the anniversary year, forms a visual bridge between memory and the future. The final section presents key metric overviews and infographics: kilometres, victories, records, and statistics. Together they condense decades of competition and, in a concise form, convey the numerical dimension of a total sport. 
A website with a wealth of materials and pictures accompanies the project: pirelli500gp.fondazionepirelli.org

This figure reflects one of the most demanding seasons in the history of the championship, after the calendar expanded to 24 races last year. On these 24 circuits, spread out over five continents, Pirelli had to deliver performance, reliability and adaptability in conditions ranging from the extreme heat of the Arabian desert to the biting cold of Nevada.

The 2025 slick tyre range, made up of six compounds, accounted for 96% of the total mileage. The two most widely used compounds, confirming their versatility and strategic importance, were the C3 (93,493 kilometres) and C4 (91,595 kilometres). These were followed by the C5 (66,255 kilometres), C2 (35,012 kilometres), C6 (22,419 kilometres) and C1 (17,368 kilometres). Wet weather tyres covered the remaining 4%: 12,893 kilometres on intermediates and 2,064 kilometres on full wets.

In total, the tyres completed 67,094 laps – with a similar split between slicks and wets: 64,519 laps on slicks and 2,578 on wets (about 4%). Across all the races, 720 pit stops were made. The record was the Spanish Grand Prix, with 53 stops in Barcelona. Miami had the fewest pit stops, with only 18.

The longest stint of the year came from Haas driver Esteban Ocon, who covered 303 kilometres on a single set of C3 tyres in Jeddah, equating to 49 laps. The Frenchman also stood out in Baku, covering 294 kilometres on a set of C4 to confirm his tyre management skills.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly recorded the longest run on the C2, completing 251 kilometres in Shanghai, while Aston  Martin’s Lance Stroll covered 222 kilometres on the C5 in Baku. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg each drove 194 kilometres on a set of intermediates at Silverstone. The longest continuous use of full wets was 61 kilometres during the Las Vegas weekend: 10 laps each for the two Aston Martin drivers as well as for Hülkenberg.

The number of tyre sets supplied by Pirelli over the course of the season highlights the logistical complexity of motorsport’s pinnacle. In 2025, teams had access to 6,120 sets of slicks in total, comprising 1,800 sets of C5, 1,580 sets of C4, 1,400 sets of C3 and around 1,900 wet weather tyres. The number of tyres allocated to each car, which varies depending on the weekend format, is clearly defined by the technical regulations.

As always, temperatures also influenced tyre behaviour. The highest track temperature recorded during a session was 58.2 degrees centigrade at Jeddah during FP2, while the highest air temperature was 39.1 degrees centigrade in Bahrain during FP1. The coldest conditions were in Las Vegas, with 12 degrees centigrade on track and 11.8 degrees centigrade ambient during qualifying. During the actual races, peak track temperature was 55.2 degrees centigrade at Spielberg, while the highest air temperature was 34.4 degrees centigrade in Texas. The lowest temperatures were 15 degrees centigrade on track in Las Vegas and 14.3 degrees centigrade ambient in Melbourne.

The Formula 1 P Zero covers were not the only Pirelli tyres to take to the track. The Pirelli Hot Laps programme, featuring Pirelli-equipped supercars on the world’s grand prix circuits, was held this year at seven events. The lucky passengers completed 2,528 laps across 32 sessions, using 12 car models from seven different manufacturers.

At the wheel were 69 drivers, ranging from current stars such as Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen, George Russell, Oscar Piastri, Kimi Antonelli, and Oliver Bearman, to emerging young talents like Paul Aron, Arthur Leclerc, Chloe Chambers and Jak Crawford. Former world champions and race winners also took part – including Mika Häkkinen, Jenson Button, Ralf Schumacher, and Pedro de la Rosa – alongside endurance and GT specialists: all underscoring the breadth and prestige of the programme.

Another significant figure came from an off-track initiative. A show tyre, donated by Pirelli and signed by a selection of Formula 1 drivers, was auctioned by RM Sotheby’s during the final race weekend as part of Abu Dhabi Collector’s Week, fetching $31,200 USD. The entire proceeds were donated to the Make-A-Wish^®  UAE foundation, which helps make the dreams of children suffering from serious illnesses come true.

From extreme temperatures and strategic complexity to logistical challenges and the Hot Laps program, the 2025 season once again highlighted Pirelli’s crucial role as Formula 1’s global partner.

This year, the Italian company passed the 500 mark of Formula 1 Grands Prix participations and next year, it will put its name to the race weekends in Silverstone (3 -5 July) and Monza (4-6 September).

These two races are the only ones to have been part of the World Championship, under the same name, every year, since it was established in 1950. They have therefore been on the calendar 76 times, an outright record for Formula 1.

As Formula 1’s Global Tyre Partner, Pirelli can also boast a long tradition in the sport. Established in 1872, Pirelli is the tyre supplier with the most participations in Formula 1 (505 as of today) dating back to the very first championship race.

The 1950 British Grand Prix at Silverstone was in fact won by Giuseppe Farina at the wheel of a Pirelli-shod Alfa Romeo. That same year, the Italian driver also won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, the final round of the season.

Silverstone and the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, then as now the venues for their respective national Grands Prix, are two of the three most historic permanent circuits still on the calendar, the other being Spa-Francorchamps.

Monza, the Temple of Speed, is Pirelli’s home race, its headquarters being just a few kilometres from the track. It was inaugurated over a century ago and immediately became the favoured venue for testing the Milan-based company’s road tyres.

Tradition and history will therefore intertwine once again next year through this sponsorship, bringing the races entitled FORMULA 1 PIRELLI BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2026 and FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2026 to the calendar.

With these words, Stefano Domenicali kicks off a special episode of “Box Box Box”, the Pirelli vodcast all about the world of Formula 1. The programme is back with a one-off edition to celebrate Pirelli’s 500 Formula 1 Grands Prix. The episode is available starting today on the Italian company’s YouTube channel (link).

Once again, journalist Tom Clarkson leads the conversation, joined by a special co-host, none other than the 1996 World Champion Damon Hill. They chat with six important figures from the world of Formula 1, each offering a different perspective on its DNA: Stefano Domenicali, President & CEO of Formula 1, Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, Ross Brawn, one of the most successful F1 engineers of all time, Jerry Bruckheimer, the film producer behind the hugely successful “F1 The Movie”, 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti and of course, Marco Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice Chairman of Pirelli.

What they had to say

Stefano Domenicali emphasises that, above all, it's about people: “Resilience, energy, humility, and passion, that’s what it takes to be a protagonist in Formula 1. The drivers are the stars of our sport, and the fact that they are all very different from one another is a real asset.”

Zak Brown highlights McLaren’s new direction, getting closer to the fans: “Sport is entertainment, but it’s never artificial. We brought the papaya colour back to our cars because the fans asked for it and that’s a symbol of openness, inclusion, and dialogue with those who live and breathe Formula 1 every day.”

For Ross Brawn, the most important evolution in motorsport history is safety: “Today, many drivers are alive thanks to huge advances in safety. It’s the greatest innovation Formula 1 has ever seen and the result of a collective effort.”

Jerry Bruckheimer discusses the challenge of bringing the paddock to the big screen: “We filmed at nine circuits, built a team, and put Brad Pitt and Damson Idris behind the wheel of real F1 cars. Formula 1 is pure drama so there couldn’t be a better subject.”

Mario Andretti, 1978 F1 World Champion and motorsport legend, adds the perspective of a champion: “Talent transcends eras. Max Verstappen would’ve been competitive even in the 1960s, just as past champions would be today. Formula 1 remains an impossible dream that, for a lucky few, becomes reality.”

Marco Tronchetti Provera connects Pirelli’s racing commitment with its core business strategy: “Formula 1 is an open-air laboratory. Here, we push materials and technologies to the limit. Thanks to digital twin technology, we’ve shortened tyre design and development cycles and transferred those innovations to road tyres, helping us strengthen our leadership in the high-end market.”

A special episode for a special milestone

With this special edition, “Box Box Box” returns as a space for reflection and storytelling, blending passion, innovation, and culture. The voices of management, champions, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs form a mosaic that looks back over 75 years of the sport, as well as forward to the next 500 GPs, reaffirming Pirelli’s role as supplier, partner, and key player in Formula 1.

Nine-time World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb became the first person to win categories. Not only did he take the individual title, but along with fellow countryman, Formula 2 driver Victor Martins, he clinched the Nations Cup for France. Like all 20 competitors, the rallying legend was able to count on tyres with which he is very familiar, as the various types of car used throughout the ROC were fitted with Pirelli tyres.

This was the first time the Italian company has been the event’s Official Supplier, providing the rubber for all cars (rallycross, rear wheel drive and off-road) with a range of 15 to 18 inch tyres, used in GT championships and, up to the end of last year, in the FIA World Rally Championship.

On Friday night, the French duo (51 year old Loeb and 23 year old Martins) beat the Australian pair of Will Brown and Chaz Mostert in the final “Nations Cup” challenge over a one kilometre long course inside the stadium. Martins, a former Formula 3 champion who races in Formula 2 this weekend in Melbourne, took the decisive win by a whisker, two tenths of a second to be precise, from local hero Brown, by jumping the Pirelli-branded bridge that featured on the track.

The following day, Sebastien Loeb beat Australian rookie Mostert in the final, to become the first driver ever to win both titles on offer at the Race of Champions, as well as being the most successful in this event which he has now won five times.

This year’s event was the first to be held in Australia and those taking part included former Formula 1 drivers, David Coulthard, Sebastian Vettel, Heikki Kovalainen, Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher, rally stars Hayden Paddon and Petter Solberg and rallycross champion Johan Kristoffersson.

Apart from Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber’s Finnish driver, Tom Clarkson also talks about challenges and many other topics besides with Rebecca Lee, the first woman to be the official starter for the Grands Prix and Günther Steiner who took on the challenge of building up a Formula 1 team from scratch and running it for almost a decade, without major support from a car manufacturer.

In his 12 years in Formula 1, Bottas has experienced the highs and lows, racing for privateer teams such as Williams and Sauber with plenty of success in between, including ten wins, 20 pole positions and 67 podium finishes, as well as contributing to five Constructors’ titles with Mercedes. He is well aware of the biggest challenge every team member faces: “if everyone give 98% and we are talking of hundreds of people, it is not enough. You have to give 100% every day. I saw that in my previous team, when we were almost totally dominant, the hunger and the mentality was something different. It’s a very strong thing, because in the end, this sport is about human performance. It’s the people who design the cars, build them and prepare them, so it’s about getting the most out of the people.”
Valtteri is well aware that the role of a driver is also important outside the cockpit when it comes to motivating the team. “I try and keep my spirits up as much as possible. So my job is to make sure people are motivated and that starts with me being motivated and giving my all every time I’m in the car.”

Rebecca Lee’s challenge is a vital one: ensuring that the start of a Grand Prix goes off without a hitch. After a sequence of checks carried out with the track marshals, it’s time for the key moment when she turns on and switches off the start lights. “I look at the marshals, I look at the cars and of course at my electronic system. I see the man at the back of the grid with the green flag. I press the start button and those five famous red lights come on for the five second countdown and then, when I deem it the right time, I start the race. It’s a completely manual procedure. I am the one who decides when to turn off the lights. Before doing so, I obviously have to make sure the grid is completely clear and that there are no dangers or risks. I make sure everything is in order and then we start.” Rebecca has also had to deal with another challenge, that of making her mark in the still male dominated world of Formula 1, although she seems to have taken it in her stride. “I feel the environment in the paddock is very diverse. I feel quite lucky. Of course it is predominantly a male environment, but I never have to fight because of that, on the contrary I believe a job is obtained on merit. I have always had support when I have asked for it. If a woman or anyone else wants a job in the paddock, they can get it by working hard.”

Günther Steiner has run his career at a thousand miles an hour, taking in rallying, NASCAR and Formula 1, becoming one of the most popular and best known characters in the sport, partly down to his extremely engaging and exuberant personality. Currently he is taking a break, touring the world talking about his motorsport life, in particular his time with Haas, the team he led up until January. It was his idea to establish an American team, back at the start of the last decade, when coming into Formula 1 seemed destined for failure, as illustrated by the struggle of newly created teams such as Virgin, Caterham and HRT, as well as more established operations such as Sauber and Jordan. “I said to myself, I’m certainly not smarter than them, I don’t have more money than them. Why should I be successful when all these people are struggling? At the time, they hadn’t failed yet, but they were struggling. So I thought we have to think differently. And that’s how the idea of working closely with Ferrari was born.” That led to working with Dallara, the creation of an operational facility in England and then of course a headquarters in America. The jigsaw puzzle worked well and, at a most difficult moment for the sport, even delivered a slight operational advantage. “When Covid arrived, everyone was worried, ‘we are doing meetings on Zoom or Teams, it won’t work,’ but we had already been doing that for four or five years, because that was how we were organised.”
With almost 40 years in motorsport under his belt, the lessons learned are clear: “never stop learning and taking the next step. You must never stand still and be complacent and say “this is how we did it five years ago,’ because in no time at all you will be out of the sport as it moves so quickly. You must always try something new. That’s my goal, to always try. It’s not always easy because it moves so fast and of course at a certain point, you find a comfort zone and you say to yourself it’s quite cosy, so we try and stop everything around us. You cannot do that, you have to follow what’s happening.”

“Box Box Box” runs over six episodes, each one on a specific topic (Speed, Education, Dedication, Time, Adrenaline, Challenge) hosted by Tom Clarkson one of the best known journalists and presenters, who has worked in Formula 1 for almost 30 years, featuring key players in the sport. The five previous episodes featured Max Verstappen, Nikolas Tombazis, Andrea Stella, Bruno Michel, Oliver Bearman, Ian Holmes, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Mario Isola, Charles Leclerc, Stefano Domenicali, Michael Schmidt, Alex Albon, Christian Horner, Laurent Mekies and Nico Hulkenberg and can be found on YouTube and on Spotify. 
 

“I love racing and I love competing,” reveals Christian Horner, Team Principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing. “I am by nature a competitive person and love team spirit and F1 is the greatest team sport in the world. We have a phenomenal team and I am privileged to lead it. I think it is precisely this sense of unity and being part of a group that sees us competing against these highly regarded opponents. I mean to say we are a subsidiary of an energy drinks company and we’re taking on Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren, all these major brands. But it’s the feeling of competition that still gets the passion burning.”
Horner also explains what he sees as Max Verstappen’s strengths, after the Dutchman clinched the world championship title for a fourth consecutive season. “His mental strength, his resilience at the key moments. Like all great athletes, it’s always when the pressure is really on that he has to be at his best and he has been exceptional at that.”

The Racing Bulls Team Principal, Laurent Mekies, reckons there are many different jobs that get the adrenaline pumping. “There are all the people who have a direct impact on what happens on track, the mechanics who do the pit stops, the race engineers who must respond to their drivers in a matter of a second, the guys who have to make the call for a pit stop. I’ve been lucky enough to have done some of these jobs in the past and they are incredible.” Mekies describes his current role as Team Principal as a case of “ensuring the other guys, the clever ones, have what they need to do their job. It’s not, nor has it probably ever been, a one-man show where someone says ‘we should do this now’ because the right people and the right structures are in place for that.”

Nico Hulkenberg knows exactly what is the most adrenaline charged moment for a racing driver: “On a qualifying lap, your heart is in your mouth and you still feel it on your cool down lap when your heart rate is still high. You’re thinking about the next attempt after a quick stop in the pits. The start of a race is always very intense, the only moment you feel really active you know, my breathing is a little faster and my heart rate has increased because it is so intense.”

A new challenge awaits Nico next year, as he joins Sauber which will then become the official Audi team. The German is aware that, with 225 Formula 1 Grand Prix starts, his experience is a useful asset. “I think experience helps and is vital, you need to have speed and consistency. Teams want performance, they want points, they want results… When it comes to team building, car development, set-up work, it's something I own, I have a big toolbox because I’ve been around for a while and that’s definitely something of an advantage compared to some other drivers, rookies or those with not much experience. And in our line of work, an unusual thing is that there’s not a lot of testing. Usually, it’s straight into a race weekend, with not a lot of time to practice and in a way, that works in favour of the older more experienced drivers.”

“Box Box Box” runs over six episodes, each one on a specific topic (Speed, Education, Dedication, Time, Adrenaline, Challenge) hosted by Tom Clarkson one of the best known journalists and presenters, who has worked in Formula 1 for almost 30 years, featuring key players in the sport. The four previous episodes featured Max Verstappen, Nikolas Tombazis, Andrea Stella, Bruno Michel, Oliver Bearman, Ian Holmes, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Mario Isola, Charles Leclerc, Stefano Domenicali, Michael Schmidt and Alex Albon and can be found on YouTube and on Spotify. In the sixth and final episode, on-line as from Tuesday 3 December, those taking part will be Valtteri Bottas and Gunther Steiner and Rebecca Lee, the official starter for the Formula 1 Grands Prix.  

Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1©, believes that the sport is going through a golden age that is due to last for a long time. “I want to say something that is perhaps quite significant, that F1 will be part of people’s lives, it will be around in 30 years’ time because all the ingredients are there ... Today, I can finally say that F1 is the greatest entertainment in sport in the world and that is certainly what it will be in 30 years time.” Domenicali also recalls his time as a competitor in Formula 1, eyes glued to the stopwatch to see if his driver was the quickest on track. He had the good fortune to work with many of the greats, including three world champions, but there was one in particular that stood out: “I don’t want to disrespect anyone but definitely Michael (Schumacher) in my heart was really something unique … I remember every single moment of the time we spent together, the incredible times but also the most difficult moments … It was very interesting to see how he evolved while working with our group and the evolution of the team that worked with him.”

Michael Schmidt of the respected German magazine “Auto Motor und Sport,” is one of the doyens of the F1 press room, having followed the sport since the Eighties. He has witnessed many eras of this sport, seen the way it has changed, but he believes its DNA has remained the same. “It’s all about winning, nothing else. You push to the limit and if there’s a problem, you solve it. The best example was Covid, Formula 1 beat it … On paper it was the sport that would have found it the most difficult to survive it, because we are a global sport, travelling around the world and yet it did it, with 17 races in 2020.” For Schmidt, it’s impossible to compare drivers from different generations, but there are three whose careers he covered that impressed him the most: Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and fellow German Michael Schumacher. Schmidt underlines the impact the seven-time world champion had on Formula 1 in Germany. “It was a second division sport and suddenly it became a premium event. Everyone was watching on television, I think the best viewing figure was around the 18 million mark. It was like a World Cup football game in Germany and these figures were never repeated, even in the Vettel days. In Germany it was a bit like Boris Becker and tennis.”

Alexander Albon has a special relationship with time, especially from inside the cockpit of his Williams. “I visualise time. Actually, I’m one of the few drivers who doesn’t rely on the delta on the steering wheel. A lot of drivers like to have something to tell them if in a particular corner they were faster or slower. When you learn to race in karting, there’s a stopwatch but you only see your lap time when you finish the lap. So you create an internal clock and you start to appreciate it. This line seems quicker or is this quicker? And gradually, as you move up through Formula 3 to Formula 2 and Formula 1, this aspect is lost because you have your lap time on the dash and you end up looking at it and if you overdrive in one corner you try and make up for it in the next one, so I had it removed and went back to doing it like in karting.”

“Box Box Box” runs over six episodes, each one on a specific topic (Speed, Education, Commitment, Time, Adrenaline, Challenge) hosted by Tom Clarkson one of the best known journalists and presenters, who has worked in Formula 1 for almost 30 years, featuring key players in the sport. The three previous episodes – Speed, Education and Commitment - featured Max Verstappen, Nikolas Tombazis, Andrea Stella, Bruno Michel, Oliver Bearman, Ian Holmes, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Mario Isola and Charles Leclerc and can be found on YouTube and on Spotify. In the remaining episodes, on line every Tuesday up to 3 December, those taking part will be Nico Hulkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Christian Horner, Gunther Steiner and other well known and lesser known faces from the Formula 1 paddock.
 

Charles Leclerc has often said he would love the chance to go head to head with Lewis Hamilton on equal terms, which is exactly what he will be able to do next year when the seven time world champion will be his team-mate at Ferrari. Leclerc talked about it when he spoke to “Box Box Box” which is on-line as from today on the the Pirelli YouTube channel. “On the one hand I’ll be able to learn from Lewis in the same car, which is fantastic,” reckons the Monegasque, “and on the other, I will try and show what I can do in the same car.” Charles also said he has great faith in the Maranello-based team. “I am sure Ferrari will be the next team to win the world championship. All we have to do is continue to work hard.”

The theme of the third episode is dedication, a key requirement for success in motorsport, both for the drivers and those in other roles. Examples of this can be found in the interviews with Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA (International Automobile Federation) and with the man who runs the department that designs, produces and manages the essential element that is the only contact patch between race cars and the ground, namely the tyres, Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Director of Motorsport.

“It’s just my family and the FIA,” says President Ben Sulayem, second to none when it comes to dedication to his role. He talks about his love of motorsport, as someone who has won the Middle East rally championship no fewer than 14 times, and what he feels the priorities are for Formula 1 in the near future – “sustainability and making the cars more exciting. You can’t just say, oh it’s all about speed, because sport is not what it used to be, now you need excitement and entertainment alongside the spirit of the sport and the business side.”

The extent of Pirelli’s involvement is clear from the numbers Mario Isola comes up with for a Grand Prix weekend – “when we also have all the support events, we bring over 3000 tyres, 1800 for Formula 1 alone.” He also reveals that Pirelli is involved in over 230 championships across all disciplines around the world. Isola has loved motorsport since he was a kid and his inspiration came from a driver who never actually won very much, but still left an indelible mark on the sport: Gilles Villeneuve.

“Box Box Box” runs over six episodes, each one with a specific theme – Speed, Education, Dedication, Time, Adrenalin, Challenge – that serves as the common thread as several of the main players in the motorsport’s blue riband category chat with Tom Clarkson one of the best known journalists and interviewers, who has worked in Formula 1 for almost thirty years.

The two previous episodes – Speed and Education – featured Max Verstappen, Nikolas Tombazis, Andrea Stella, Bruno Michel, Oliver Bearman and Ian Holmes and can be found on YouTube and on Spotify. Upcoming episodes, on-line every Tuesday up to 3 December, will feature Stefano Domenicali, Valtteri Bottas, Christian Horner, Alex Albon, Gunther Steiner and other well known and lesser known faces from the Formula 1 paddock.

Oliver Bearman is one of the world’s most promising young racing drivers. This year he’s already had three opportunities to race with “the grown-ups” in a Grand Prix, while also winning races in Formula 2, the feeder series to Formula 1. In the second episode of “Box Box Box,” on line as from today on the Pirelli YouTube channel, Ollie, who last weekend took part in his third Grand Prix in Sao Paulo, Brazil, talks about this unusual season for him, who he looks up to and what his aspirations are for next season with Haas.

“Box, Box, Box” runs over six episodes. Each one follows a specific topic (Speed, Education, Dedication, Time, Adrenaline or Challenge), which acts as a common thread in conversations with key players in motor racing’s blue riband category. The shows are hosted by Formula 1 journalist and presenter Tom Clarkson, a paddock regular for almost 30 years.

In addition to the chat with Bearman, episode 2, “Education”, also features interviews with two people who have held important roles behind the scenes for many years. Bruno Michel, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 CEO, has seen hundreds of aspiring champions pass through his series, including Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Bruno talks about how the progression of young drivers through the various categories has changed, and he names the future F1 star he misjudged.

We also speak to Ian Holmes, Formula 1’s director of media rights. For more than two decades Ian has managed the sport’s television broadcasting and more. He’s seen the explosion in popularity driven by the “Drive to Survive” series, and he looks ahead to next year’s premiere of the film “F1,” starring Brad Pitt, which will be screened in cinemas around the world.

The first episode of Box Box Box has already had around one million views. It features three-time world champion and Oracle Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen; the Director of the FIA Single-seater department, Nikolas Tombazis and McLaren F1 Team Principal, Andrea Stella. The episode can be found here.

Coming up in future episodes of Box Box Box, which is also available on Spotify, are Charles Leclerc, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Stefano Domenicali, Valtteri Bottas, Christian Horner, Alex Albon, Gunther Steiner and many others from the world of Formula 1.
 

“When you hit the wall!”

Max Verstappen tells it like it is when describing the sensation of speed in the very first episode of “Box, box, box,” the Formula 1 vodcast produced by Pirelli. The show is on-line from today on the Italian company’s YouTube channel.

“Box Box Box” runs over six episodes, in which you’ll see some of the key players from motor racing’s blue riband category discuss the themes of Speed, Training, Dedication, Time, Adrenaline and Challenge. The shows are hosted by top Formula 1 journalist and presenter Tom Clarkson, who’s worked in F1 for nearly 30 years.

Each episode runs to around 20 minutes, during which three guests answer Clarkson’s questions, talk about their relationship with the specific topic, and include some personal anecdotes.

 Joining Oracle Red Bull Racing’s three-time world champion for the opening show are the Director of the FIA’s single-seater department, Nikolas Tombazis, and McLaren F1 Team Principal, Andrea Stella.

Guests appearing in subsequent episodes, also available on Spotify’s Pirelli channel, include Charles Leclerc, Valtteri Bottas, Alex Albon, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Stefano Domenicali, Christian Horner, Guenther Steiner and other well-known names from the Formula 1 paddock.

All the model cars, designed by the students using CAD systems and manufactured using CNC machines and 3D printers, have 'standard' Pirelli branded wheels. The edge is customised with the graphic reproduction of the Pirelli P Zero tyres used by real F1 cars on the track.

As in real life, the aerodynamics of the models are first tested virtually using computational fluid dynamics software and then in a smoke-filled wind tunnel. The acid test is to launch the models, fitted with compressed air cartridges, down a 24-metre straight to determine the fastest design.

Pirelli has set up online seminars that students will be able to follow in the coming weeks to better understand how tyres work in Formula 1 and what data the Milan-based company's engineers use to develop tyres for the world's most prestigious championship.

Mario Isola, Pirelli Head of Motorsport: "For years, Pirelli has been an enthusiastic supporter of projects aimed at informing the younger generation about the many opportunities that motorsport can offer. During the championship, our track engineers often meet groups of young students who are interested in learning more about certain STEM subjects, also to consider a career in racing. By listening to the experiences of our team members, we hope that they can gain inspiration for what could be their professional future, in a stimulating and highly competitive environment that can be incredibly rewarding”.

F1 in Schools Italy, born from the collaboration between Innovation Farm and Dallara, enters a crucial phase today. The participating teams, made up of a maximum of 6 students, will face a qualifying round at the end of February, from which a shortlist of possible national finalists will emerge. The top two groups will eventually be able to represent our country at the World Finals at the end of 2025.

The overwhelming majority of that distance was covered on the slick tyres: only 6.31% of those kilometres were driven on the Cinturato Intermediate or Cinturato Extreme Wet. The key protagonist (unsurprisingly, as it was nominated for every race) was the C3: used for 105,499 kilometres, which is more than a third of the total distance driven (36.57%). The C4 was the second most-used compound, with 27.43% of the total, followed by the C2 (15.41%) and C5 (13.55%). The least-used compound was the C1, with 5.73% of the total distance. The 3,800 kilometres driven during grand prix weekends on prototype tyres also need to be added to the total: in Barcelona, Suzuka, and Mexico City.

The longest stint of the year was completed by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. On only his second Formula 1 race appearance, the Australian was forced to stop at the end of lap one to change a damaged front wing following contact with Pierre Gasly. At the same time, he bolted on a set of C2 tyres that he drove all the way to the flag: a total distance of 302.5 kilometres. In doing so, Piastri went two kilometres further than Esteban Ocon, who drove a single set of C3 tyres for 302.5 kilometres in Baku after starting on them from the pit lane, before making his mandatory pit stop on the penultimate of 51 scheduled laps. The Azerbaijan street circuit was also the scene of the longest stint of the year on the softest compound: Valtteri Bottas completed the entire sprint race distance on Saturday afternoon (17 laps, equivalent to 102 kilometres) with a set of C5 tyres. Bottas also holds the record for the longest distance on the hardest compound; namely 32 laps (equivalent to 188.4 kilometres) at Silverstone. The longest stint on the C4 was completed by another Alfa Romeo driver: Guanyu Zhou, who used it for 212.7 kilometres in Singapore.

Throughout the 2023 season, there were three different weekend formats with specific rules relating to tyre use. A total of 14 races adopted the classic weekend schedule of three free practice sessions, qualifying, and the race, while there were also six Sprint weekends – with just one free practice on Friday, followed by race qualifying, and Saturday’s Sprint Shootout and Sprint race, before the Grand Prix on Sunday. Finally, the ATA (Alternative Tyre Allocation) format was trialled on two occasions, with the goal of looking at ways to manage tyre use more efficiently. About a thousand sets of slicks for the 22 events were never used, while another 732 were driven only for one to three laps. As for the extreme wet tyres, Pirelli adopted a ‘strip and fit’ methodology this year; allowing tyres that were fitted but never used to be carried over to other events. This will help the teams to improve their tyre management, given that in 2023, for example, 1,304 sets of intermediate and wet tyres never completed a lap.

The Dutch Grand Prix was the race with the most tyre changes this year (counting both ‘real’ pit stops and tyre changes under a red flag). Because the weather kept on changing, with intermittent rain, there were 82 tyre changes in total, using every type of tyre: the three slick compounds, intermediates, and extreme wets were all seen on tack at various points. By contrast, the race with the fewest tyre changes was Miami, where all 20 drivers carried out just their one obligatory pit stop under the rules. The total number of tyre changes during the year (considering the sprint races as well) was 871.

Austin proved to be the hottest race of the year in terms of ambient temperature, with 34.7 degrees centigrade on Saturday during the Sprint race and 32.8 degrees during Sunday’s Grand Prix. Zandvoort was the coolest, with an average temperature of 15.1 degrees. In terms of asphalt temperature, Hungaroring was the hottest race of the year with 53.6 degrees, while the coolest was Las Vegas with 18.5 degrees.

Directed by Joseph Kosinksi (Top Gun: Maverick) and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, filming began at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix. Starring Brad Pitt as a former driver who returns to Formula 1, alongside Damson Idris as his team mate on APXGP, a fictional 11th team on the grid.

The APXGP team cars are equipped with Pirelli tyres, as are all the tyres that will be used during filming. The logo of the FIA Formula One World Championship's Global Tyre Partner also appears on the front wing and nose of Pitt and his teammate's car.