39 Facts About Pirelli

Pirelli, which has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1922, is the 6th-largest tyre manufacturer and is focused on the consumer production of tyres for cars, motorcycles and bicycles.

On 4 October 2017, Pirelli returned to the Milan Stock Exchange after focusing its business on pure consumer products and related services, and separating the business of industrial tyre.

Thereafter, Pirelli's activities were primarily focused on the production of tyre and cables .

In 2005, Pirelli sold its cable division to Goldman Sachs, which changed the new group's name to Prysmian.

In 1974, Pirelli invented the "wide radial tyre", upon a request from the Lancia rally racing team for a tyre strong enough to withstand the power of the new Lancia Stratos.

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In 1988, Pirelli acquired the Armstrong Rubber Company, which was headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, for $190 million.

In 2000, Pirelli sold its terrestrial fibre optic cables business to Cisco and its optical components operations to Corning, for 5 billion euro.

In 2005, Pirelli sold its Cables, Energy Systems and Telecommunications assets to Goldman Sachs and the newly formed company was named Prysmian.

In 2006, Pirelli chose Slatina for its first tyre production plant in Romania, extending the facility in 2011.

Fondazione Pirelli was established in the same year to safeguard and celebrate the company's past and to promote business culture as an integral part of Italy's national cultural assets.

In March 2019 Pirelli announced a new range of mountainbiking tyres, called Scorpion.

In 2021 Pirelli introduced 18-inch tyres for the new aerodynamic and technical changes for 2022 in Formula One.

Pirelli Calendar is published annually, featuring actresses and fashion models.

Pirelli is well known for its long term primary sponsorship of the Italian football club Inter Milan between 1995 and 2021.

Pirelli previously appeared as a sponsor on the shirts of the Maltese football club Valletta for a short time.

In reference to Brazil striker Ronaldo's usual goal celebration of both arms outstretched, Pirelli ran a 1998 commercial in which he replaced the figure of Christ from the Christ the Redeemer statue that towers over his home city of Rio de Janeiro while in an Inter Milan strip.

Pirelli's sponsorship of football teams is not limited to Europe, South America is a key market and as a result successful clubs have been sponsored by the tyre company.

In 2009 Pirelli became the title sponsor of the Chinese Super League, China's top-tier football league.

Pirelli is currently the event title sponsor of the Spanish and Hungarian Grands Prix and sponsored the 2018 French Grand Prix.

Pirelli supported rally with their FIA Pirelli Star Driver program as an initiative to support young rally drivers.

Pirelli is a sponsor of rally and gymkhana driver Ken Block's Hoonigan Racing Division since 2010.

Pirelli is sponsor of Emirates Team New Zealand in the 35th America's Cup .

Pirelli is sponsor of the Italian Ski Team and of the Swiss Ski Team.

Pirelli have been a sponsor of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball from 2014 to 2020.

Pirelli is the only allowed tyre brand in the FIM World Superbike Championship since 2007 .

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Pirelli has been awarded the contract for the control tyre supply in the British Superbike Championship from 2008 until at least 2010.

Pirelli were the official tyre partner and supplier of the World Rally Championship from 2008 to 2010, until the company withdrew to focus on its Formula One commitments.

Pirelli returned to the championship in 2014, however only partnering tyres for a few private teams as Michelin was the major tyre partner and supplier.

Pirelli stepped up their involvement in the championship when they signed a deal to supply tyres to all Junior WRC participants, with its champions receiving a Ford Fiesta R5 with free tyres, fuel and free rally registration package for the next season's World Rally Championship-2.

Pirelli subsequently returned full time to the WRC since 2021 season.

Pirelli was partnered Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series from 2008 until 2010 before being replaced by Continental AG in 2011.

Pirelli has been the sole tyre supplier in Formula 1 since 2011, following Bridgestone's decision to withdraw from the role at the end of 2010.

Since the 2019 season, Pirelli has used three colours to identify its dry-weather P Zero tyres: white for hard, yellow for medium, and red for soft.

Pirelli has faced controversy on a number of occasions in Formula 1, especially during the 2013 British Grand Prix, which featured multiple tyre failures.

Pirelli subsequently changed the construction of the tyres to prevent further incidents, switching to Kevlar belts.

Immediately after the race Pirelli claimed that excessive wear caused the blowout but following a more detailed analysis the company said that in fact a cut had caused the tyre failure.

Pirelli was consequently asked to produce tyres with less degradation that were more resistant to overheating, for the fastest cars in Formula 1 history.

Pirelli hoped to strengthen its presence in the largest motorcycle market in the world, the Southeast Asia region which has 250 million motorcycles.

In July 2018, Pirelli launched a F1 wheel shaped Bluetooth speaker, P Zero Sound.