Pirelli is the first company to produce a complete range of FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified tires for motorsport.
Starting this year, all the tires used in the FIA Formula One World Championship will be marked with the FSC logo. This certifies that all the natural rubber within the tire complies with stringent environmental and social criteria required by the FSC, the world-leading non-governmental organization for sustainable forestry.
This certification, announced on October 10 last year when Pirelli renewed its agreement as the Global Tire Partner of Formula 1 until at least 2027, will apply to all the tires used on track, throughout the season, including pre-season testing. The FSC-certified tires have been introduced following an intense development programme that began in 2022, which showed clear results in terms of both reliability and performance.
The first free practice sessions at the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2024 hosted the debut of these certified tires at a Grand Prix. This marks a significant step, reflecting Pirelli’s commitment to delivering increasingly sustainable performance and solutions even within the special environment of motorsport, starting with its greatest technological and competitive expression, Formula 1.
Pirelli confirmed as a global leader
Pirelli has been confirmed as one of the global leaders in the fight against climate change for the sixth consecutive year with a place in the 2023 Climate A list from the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), an international non-profit organization that researches and promotes environmental information. Pirelli was also the first tire manufacturer to be awarded a three-star rating on the FIA’s Environmental Accreditation Programme.
Together with the FIA and Formula 1, the Italian firm has underlined its position in the front line of research and development into new technology, both on the technical and sporting side, to support the work that has already been done in reducing CO2 emissions throughout the entire life cycle of a Formula 1 tire.
FSC certification joins several initiatives already put in place for motorsport by Pirelli in recent years:
- All the tires that Pirelli brings to the track during a Grand Prix weekend—used in F1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy—will be transformed into secondary raw materials after use, for multiple circular uses;
- The electrical energy used to make F1, F2, F3 and F1 Academy tires comes exclusively from 100% renewable certified sources;
- The use of ‘virtual’ design technology for all tires not only considerably reduces development time, but above all the number of physical prototypes needed, cutting down on materials used;
- The elimination of tire warmers in Formula 1 for full wet covers, pioneered in Monaco last year, reduces the use of electrical energy;
- More streamlined logistics, with sea freight now the preferred method of transport over air freight, cuts down on logistics emissions.