F1 | Pirelli: FSC certified sustainable tires make their debut

The 2024 season begins with a confirmed tire range for Pirelli, given that there will be no substantial changes to the compounds used in the last championship. However, there is one aspect that the Italian manufacturer wanted to focus on, namely the fact that it will be the first company to create a complete range of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified tires intended for a car competition.

In fact, starting from this year, all the tires used in Formula 1 will be marked with the FSC logo, thus certifying that all the natural rubber used to make the tire complies with all the environmental and social sustainability criteria defined by a non-governmental organization and multistakeholder, world leader in sustainable forest management.

Already announced last October 10th, on the occasion of the renewal of Pirelli's partnership as official supplier of Formula 1 from 2025 to 2027, the new tires made their debut in the tests which took place on the Sakhir track last week. The introduction of this type of certified tire was decided after a test program, which began as early as 2022, which confirmed its transparency in terms of performance and reliability.

According to Pirelli, this is an important step forward that reflects the Milanese company's commitment to bringing more sustainable performance and solutions to the world of motor racing, starting from its maximum technological and sporting expression, Formula 1. It is worth remembering, in fact, that even the world of Motorsport is increasingly moving towards environmental sustainability, so much so that even F1 is pushing to reach the “Net Zero” objective, i.e. the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as close as possible to the zero, by 2030.

Pirelli's commitment to sustainable production is well known and has already seen it obtain a place in the 2023 Climate A list drawn up by CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project, the international non-profit organization that collects, disseminates and promotes information on environmental issues). Furthermore, the Italian manufacturer was the first tire company to obtain three stars in the Environmental Accreditation Program promoted by the FIA, a rule that all those involved in the top categories of motorsport must respect.

The company thus confirms itself at the forefront in the research and development of new solutions, both at a sporting and technical level, in support of the work aimed at reducing CO emissions₂
throughout the entire life cycle of a tyre.

The FSC certification is in fact added to a series of initiatives implemented by Pirelli within the motorsport segment, including the fact that 100% of the tires brought to the track by Pirelli for a Grand Prix – used in F1, F2 , F3 and F1 Academy – is transformed into secondary raw materials intended for multiple uses with a view to circularity. Furthermore, the electricity used in the production of tires for F1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy comes exclusively from certified renewable sources, to which savings have been added following the elimination of the use of tyrewarmers for wet tyres.

Pirelli wet tyres

Photo by: Jake Grant / Motorsport Images

The implementation of virtual design for each type of tire has considerably reduced not only the development time of new solutions but above all the production of prototypes, with a consequent saving in the use of materials. Finally, Pirelli has worked to improve and optimize logistics, with the use of ship transport as a priority over air transport, thus reducing the emissions produced.

Giovanni Tronchetti Provera, Executive Vice President Motorsport of Pirelli, underlined how this certification represents an important milestone in terms of environmental sustainability: “The debut of our FSC certified tire in the world of motor racing represents a significant moment in the path that Pirelli has undertaken on the front of sustainability”.

“In 2021 we were the first to equip a road car with an FSC certified tire and now we are proud to be the first to do so also in the world of racing. For our company, our commitment to Formula 1 constitutes an extraordinary open-air laboratory not only to experiment and test new technical solutions and to improve the research and development processes in the production of road tires but also to combine maximum performance, typical of such a challenging environment as that of motor racing, with the commitment to increasingly sustainable world”.

Pirelli tyres

Photo by: Erik Junius

Ellen Jones, ESG Manager of Formula 1 underlined Pirelli's commitment to sustainability, an objective also shared by the organizers of the series. “Formula 1 is proud to collaborate with Pirelli in its commitment to sustainability at every level, as demonstrated by the introduction of FSC certified tyres. This is an important and positive step forward and another example of how our partners are demonstrating their commitment to sustainable practices as we continue the journey to Net Zero by 2030. We look forward to seeing the new FSC certified tires in action this weekend in Bahrain and throughout the season.”

Fabian Farkas, Commercial Director of the Forest Stewardship Council International underlined the value of this certification, underlining how the automotive industry must continue to work the pressure on the environment and that Pirelli has taken a step forward on this front: “The certification and the FSC logo are the gold standard for sustainable forest management. The automotive industry must take action to alleviate the pressure that natural rubber supplies place on forest ecosystems and communities.”

“We applaud Pirelli's leadership in addressing the complex environmental and socio-economic challenges of natural rubber value chains. This demonstrates that sustainability and performance can coexist – and the FSC stands ready to support companies globally to follow suit. 'example”.