The FIA and Formula 1 have proposed, and Pirelli has agreed, a one-year extension to the existing exclusive tyre supply contract to reflect the original intention of the 2018 tyre tender and remain within the overall technical framework, which is in the best interests of all relevant stakeholders.
The most recent tyre tender from the FIA and Formula 1 back in 2018 was for the supply of a 13-inch tyre during the 2020 season, followed by three consecutive seasons of 18-inch tyres from 2021 to 2023 inclusive.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which also disrupted the 2020 Formula 1 season, obliged the FIA and Formula 1 to implement emergency measures that included the cancellation of tyre development tests last year and the postponement of planned new technical regulations – which included 18-inch tyres – from 2021 to 2022. As a result, the current rules now state that 13-inch tyres will be used during the 2021 season, with a move to 18-inch tyres in 2022.
