Pirelli

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Italian tire manufacturer known for high-performance tires, motorsport technology, and the Pirelli Calendar.

Last updated October 7, 2026

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Overview

Pirelli is an Italian multinational tire manufacturer founded in Milan in 1872 by Giovanni Battista Pirelli. It developed from a rubber-processing business into one of the world's best-known consumer tire brands, with a particular reputation for performance, premium original-equipment fitments, racing, and distinctive design. The company produces tires for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles, and its consumer-focused portfolio covers ultra-high-performance vehicles, luxury cars, SUVs, winter conditions, vans, road bicycles, gravel bicycles, mountain bikes, urban bicycles, and electric bicycles. Pirelli's identity has been shaped by a close relationship between industrial research, automotive manufacturers, and sport. It has sponsored sporting competitions since the early twentieth century and has supplied tires in Formula One, rallying, superbike racing, GT competition, cycling, skiing, and other disciplines. Since 2011, it has been the exclusive tire supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, a role that has made its tire compounds, sidewall colors, and race engineering visible to a global audience. Its racing involvement has also supported product development and reinforced the brand's association with speed, control, engineering, and premium vehicle performance. The company's principal passenger-car families include P Zero for high-performance vehicles, Cinturato for premium cars and touring applications, Sottozero for winter use, Carrier for vans, Ice for severe cold, and Scorpion for SUVs and crossovers. Motorcycle products include Diablo, Angel, and Scorpion families, while the bicycle range includes P ZERO Velo, Cycl-e, Scorpion, and Cinturato lines. Products are frequently developed jointly with vehicle manufacturers for specific models, making original-equipment partnerships an important part of Pirelli's market position. Pirelli was historically more diversified than it is today. In addition to tires, it once produced cables and telecommunications equipment, operated businesses connected with real estate and broadband technology, and explored fashion, eyewear, watches, renewable energy, and sustainable mobility. During the 2000s and early 2010s, it disposed of or separated many of these activities. The sale of its cable operations created Prysmian, while later portfolio changes left Pirelli concentrated on consumer tires and related services. The Pirelli Calendar, introduced in 1964, is the company's most recognizable cultural project. Rather than functioning simply as a product catalogue, it became a high-profile annual publication associated with fashion photography, celebrities, models, actresses, and changing ideas about beauty and representation. Photographers who contributed over the years included Richard Avedon, Helmut Newton, Peter Lindbergh, Steve McCurry, Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, and Annie Leibovitz. The calendar helped extend Pirelli's visibility beyond the automotive sector. Pirelli has undergone substantial ownership and listing changes. It was listed on the Borsa Italiana in 1922, was acquired by ChemChina together with Italian investors in 2015, and returned to the Milan Stock Exchange in 2017 after being repositioned as a pure consumer-tire company. In April 2025, the board determined that ChemChina's control had ended under Italian government rules and IFRS 10 principles. Pirelli remains an active, internationally distributed tire company headquartered in Milan's Bicocca district, with manufacturing and commercial operations spanning multiple regions.

History

Giovanni Battista Pirelli established the company in Milan in 1872. Its early business centered on rubber and related processing rather than tires alone. Over time, Pirelli developed products for industrial, transportation, and communications applications. During the Second World War, its rubber expertise also supported specialized equipment, including rebreathers and dry suits used by Italian military divers. Tires and cables became the company's principal industrial activities during the twentieth century. Pirelli's presence in Milan was symbolized by the Pirelli Tower, commissioned by Alberto Pirelli in the 1950s near the site of the original factory. The company also developed a prominent sporting profile, beginning competition sponsorship in 1907 and using racing as a laboratory for materials, structures, and performance compounds. A major technical milestone came in the 1970s. At the request of Lancia's rally team, Pirelli developed a wide radial tire for the Lancia Stratos. Existing slick tires were too stiff and conventional radials were too narrow and vulnerable for the car's power. Pirelli's solution combined a broad footprint and low sidewall with radial construction. The concept was later adopted for high-performance road cars, including the Porsche 911 Turbo, and influenced the development of modern performance tires. Pirelli expanded internationally through acquisitions and manufacturing investments. In 1988 it acquired Armstrong Rubber Company in the United States. In the 2000s it sold important telecommunications and cable assets: terrestrial fiber-optic operations went to Cisco, optical components went to Corning, and the broader cable division was sold to Goldman Sachs in 2005. The resulting company was named Prysmian. Pirelli also used proceeds from asset disposals in corporate investments, including a controlling position in Telecom Italia through Olimpia between 2001 and 2007. The group briefly extended the Pirelli name into clothing, watches, and eyewear beginning in 2002. It also maintained interests in broadband services and real estate. In 2010, Pirelli completed a decisive shift toward tires by selling Pirelli Broadband Solutions and separating its real-estate assets. The Pirelli Foundation was created that year to preserve the company's archive and promote the history of industrial culture. Manufacturing expansion continued in China and Romania. Pirelli opened its first Chinese tire factory in Shandong in 2005, establishing the foundation for a larger production complex. It selected Slatina, Romania, for its first Romanian tire plant in 2006 and expanded that facility in 2011. In 2015, ChemChina, together with Camfin and LTI, agreed to acquire control of Pirelli in a transaction reported at €7.1 billion. The transaction was completed and Pirelli was delisted in November of that year. The company was subsequently reorganized around consumer tires, with the industrial tire business separated. Pirelli announced in 2017 that it would offer shares publicly again, and it returned to the Milan Stock Exchange on 4 October 2017. The modern company concentrates on car, motorcycle, and bicycle tires. It has continued to broaden its bicycle range, launching P ZERO Velo for road cycling in 2017 and Scorpion mountain-bike tires in 2019. In Formula One, it developed 18-inch tires for the 2022 technical regulations. Its current brand strategy combines premium original-equipment partnerships, consumer replacement tires, digital and connected-tire development, and highly visible motorsport programs. Pirelli's cultural influence is closely linked to the Pirelli Calendar, published since 1964. The calendar's collaborations with major photographers and public figures made it a distinctive form of brand communication. Football sponsorship, especially its long association with Inter Milan, further connected the name with popular culture. In April 2025, Pirelli's board determined that Sinochem's control had ended under the relevant Italian government provisions and IFRS 10. The company therefore continues as an active, Milan-based international tire manufacturer with a more focused business scope than its historical corporate form.

2025
Board determines ChemChina control has ended
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli's board concluded that Sinochem's control had ended under Italian government provisions and IFRS 10.
2017
Return to public markets
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli returned to the Milan Stock Exchange after repositioning itself as a consumer-tire company.
2015
ChemChina acquisition completed
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
ChemChina and associated investors acquired control of Pirelli, which was delisted later that year.
2011
Formula One sole-supplier agreement begins
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli became the exclusive tire supplier for the FIA Formula One World Championship.
2005
Cable business separated
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli sold its cable, energy systems, and telecommunications assets, creating the company later known as Prysmian.
1988
Armstrong Rubber acquired
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli acquired Armstrong Rubber Company in the United States.
1974
Wide radial tire developed
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli developed the wide radial tire for Lancia rally competition, combining a low sidewall with radial construction.
1964
First Pirelli Calendar
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
The company launched its annual calendar, which later became an internationally recognized cultural and marketing project.
1922
Listed on the Borsa Italiana
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli became a publicly listed company in Milan.
1907
Sport sponsorship begins
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Pirelli began sponsoring sporting competitions, establishing a relationship between the brand and performance.
1872
Company founded in Milan
[1]Pirellien.wikipedia.org
Giovanni Battista Pirelli founded the company, initially focusing on rubber and derivative products.

Products and positioning

Premium, high-performance, technology-led tire brand with strong motorsport and cultural associations.

Passenger-car tires
P ZERO
P ZERO is Pirelli's best-known ultra-high-performance family. It is designed for powerful and premium vehicles and is commonly developed in cooperation with vehicle manufacturers for specific handling, braking, comfort, and noise requirements. The name is also used in Pirelli's dry-weather Formula One tire branding and other racing applications.
Passenger-car and bicycle tires
Cinturato
Cinturato is a long-running Pirelli family associated with premium touring, wet-weather, and performance applications. In Formula One, Cinturato identifies the grooved intermediate and full-wet tires. The name is also used for road and gravel bicycle tires.
Winter passenger-car tires
Sottozero
Sottozero is Pirelli's winter-tire family for premium and performance cars. It is engineered for cold temperatures and winter road conditions, with compounds and tread designs intended to maintain control when temperatures fall and roads become wet, snowy, or icy.
SUV, motorcycle, and bicycle tires
Scorpion
Scorpion is used across several Pirelli categories. It includes tires for SUVs and crossovers, motorcycle road and off-road products, and mountain bicycles. The family is associated with mixed-use capability, durability, and vehicle-specific performance requirements.
Motorcycle tires
Diablo
Diablo is Pirelli's motorcycle performance family for road and track use. Its products are aimed at riders seeking grip, handling response, and high-speed stability, with variants tailored to different road, sport, and circuit applications.
Motorcycle tires
Angel
Angel is a motorcycle family focused on street, touring, and commuting applications. The range emphasizes everyday usability and predictable road behavior rather than the track-centered orientation associated with Diablo products.
Road bicycle tires · 2017
P ZERO Velo
P ZERO Velo marked Pirelli's return to the road-cycling tire market. The range targets road racing and performance cycling, applying Pirelli's motorsport and high-performance tire expertise to low rolling resistance, cornering grip, and puncture protection.
Brand publication · 1964
Pirelli Calendar
The Pirelli Calendar is an annual photographic publication launched in 1964. It became a prestigious brand-expression project through its collaborations with prominent photographers, models, actresses, and other public figures, extending Pirelli's identity into fashion and visual culture.

Controversies

2015
Vettel tire blowout at the Belgian Grand Prix
A tire on Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari failed at high speed during the Belgian Grand Prix. Pirelli initially discussed excessive wear, then reported that a cut had caused the failure after further analysis.
Source
2013
Formula One tire failures at the British Grand Prix
Multiple tire failures during the 2013 British Grand Prix created a significant safety controversy. Pirelli subsequently changed tire construction, including moving to Kevlar belts, in response to concerns about reliability and safety.
Source
1998
Religious controversy over Ronaldo advertisement
Pirelli's Ronaldo advertisement used the Christ the Redeemer statue in a football-related visual, prompting objections from Catholic representatives over the treatment of religious symbolism.
Source

2010FIA Pirelli Star Driver
International rallying markets
Pirelli supported emerging rally drivers through the FIA Pirelli Star Driver program, using competition sponsorship to identify and develop young talent.
Outcome. Youth-development and motorsport-positioning program
Source
1998Ronaldo and Christ the Redeemer advertisement
Brazil · International
An advertisement showed Inter Milan striker Ronaldo posed in the place of the Christ the Redeemer figure in Rio de Janeiro, wearing an Inter shirt. The image connected football, Brazil, and Pirelli's sponsorship but generated controversy because of its religious imagery.
Outcome. High recognition campaign accompanied by criticism from Catholic observers
Source
1995Inter Milan shirt sponsorship
Italy · International
Pirelli became the primary shirt sponsor of Inter Milan, creating one of the most durable associations between a tire brand and a football club. The partnership continued through the 2020–21 season.
Outcome. Long-term sports-branding partnership
Source
1964Pirelli Calendar
Global · Europe · North America
Pirelli created an annual calendar that developed into a major cultural marketing property. Its photography commissions and changing editorial themes gave the tire company visibility in fashion, photography, and popular culture.
Outcome. Long-running international brand platform
Source

Brand decisions

2021
Development of 18-inch Formula One tiresGeneration change
Background
Formula One's 2022 technical regulations changed car aerodynamics and wheel dimensions, requiring a new tire generation.
Action taken
Pirelli introduced 18-inch racing tires designed for the new Formula One regulations.
Aftermath
The larger tires became part of the sport's updated technical package and continued Pirelli's sole-supplier role.
Source
2017
Return to the Milan Stock ExchangeM&A
Background
After the ChemChina transaction and the separation of industrial tire activities, Pirelli planned to restore a public-market listing.
Action taken
Pirelli offered shares in an initial public offering and returned to the Milan Stock Exchange on 4 October 2017.
Aftermath
The company resumed trading as a more focused consumer tire manufacturer.
Source
2015
Acquisition by ChemChina and associated investorsM&A
Background
ChemChina, Camfin, and LTI proposed a transaction to take Pirelli private and establish Chinese control while retaining an Italian-linked ownership structure.
Action taken
Shareholders accepted the reported €7.1 billion offer; the transaction was completed and Pirelli was delisted in November 2015.
Aftermath
Pirelli was reorganized around consumer tires and later returned to the Milan Stock Exchange in 2017.
Acquisition offer value. €7.1 billion (2015)
Source
2010
Conversion to a pure tire companyStrategy
Background
Pirelli reviewed its non-core activities after earlier disposals of communications and industrial assets.
Action taken
It sold Pirelli Broadband Solutions and separated its real-estate assets, concentrating the group on tires and related consumer activities.
Aftermath
The narrower structure supported the later separation of industrial tires and Pirelli's return to public markets.
Source
2005
Exit from cable and telecommunications assetsStrategy
Background
Pirelli sought to simplify its portfolio and separate its cable, energy-system, and telecommunications operations from the consumer tire business.
Action taken
The assets were sold to Goldman Sachs and reorganized as Prysmian.
Aftermath
Pirelli moved closer to a consumer-focused operating model while Prysmian continued as a separate cable company.
Source

Recent events

Unconfirmed
Reported2026.10.13
McLaren launches review into Oscar Piastri's unusual slow puncture at the Singapore Grand Prix[3]迈凯伦就皮亚斯特里在新加坡大奖赛的异常慢漏气启动审查planetf1.com
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella confirmed that Oscar Piastri's car suffered an 'unusual' slow puncture at the Singapore Grand Prix, forcing an early second pit stop, and that the cause was unknown. McLaren has launched a review of the incident and will work with Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli to investigate, saying the issue needs to be got 'on top of'.
Unconfirmed
Reported2026.10.11
MINI unveils Countryman Untamed Edition all-terrain camping special version[4]MINI 发表 Countryman Untamed Edition 全地形露营特别版车型auto.ifeng.com
MINI unveiled the Countryman Untamed Edition overseas, an all-terrain camping-focused customization of the Countryman offered in both combustion and fully electric versions. The edition features a 15 mm raised suspension (ground clearance up to 19 mm higher), revised approach and departure angles, the intelligent ALL4 all-wheel-drive system, specially tuned ABS, DSC and steering, custom 19-inch wheels and co-developed Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus all-terrain tires, with an optional tow hook rated at 2 tonnes. MINI partnered with Autohome on an exclusive roof-tent kit whose hard shell and tent are handmade in Italy, and with Helionx on an exclusive camping kit combining a folding chair and camping table. Sales are expected to begin in selected markets in 2027.
2022.03.28
Reported2022.03.28
Pirelli introduces its first EV replacement tire in North America[5]倍耐力在北美推出首款电动汽车替换轮胎autosphere.ca
Pirelli announced the introduction in North America of the P Zero All Season Plus with Elect marking, its first replacement tire developed specifically for electric vehicles.
2022.03.15
Reported2022.03.15
Pirelli introduces P Zero All Season Plus with Elect marking[6]倍耐力推出带Elect标识的P Zero All Season Plus轮胎prnewswire.com
Pirelli announced the introduction in North America of the P Zero All Season Plus with Elect marking, its first replacement tire developed specifically for electric vehicles.
Unconfirmed
Reported2022.03.08
Pirelli Elect wins Spain’s 2021 Hevea award[7]倍耐力 Elect 获得西班牙 2021 年 Hevea 奖press.pirelli.com
Pirelli’s Elect technology package won the Best Technological Innovation of 2021 award at Spain’s Los Premios Hevea de la Industria del Neumático.
2021.12.17
Reported2021.12.17
Pirelli announces partnership with UAE Team Emirates[8]倍耐力宣布与阿联酋航空车队合作press.pirelli.com
Pirelli announced a sporting partnership with UAE Team Emirates. The team was to ride on Pirelli tyres in 2022 and 2023; Pirelli also said the collaboration would include technical development.
2021.08.05
Reported2021.08.05
Pirelli partners with Nacon on RiMS Racing[9]倍耐力与Nacon合作推出《RiMS Racing》press.pirelli.com
Pirelli contributed technical and racing expertise to the RiMS Racing motorcycle simulation game developed by RaceWard Studio and published by Nacon.
2021.07.19
Reported2021.07.19
Pirelli announces P ZERO HL tire[10]倍耐力发布P ZERO HL轮胎finance.sina.com.cn
Pirelli announced its P ZERO HL high-load tire, designed for electric vehicles and SUVs, and said it would first be fitted to the Lucid Air. Pirelli and Lucid Motors jointly developed the custom tire to meet electric-vehicle performance standards.
2021.07.15
Reported2021.07.15
Pirelli presents its first HL high-load tyre[11]倍耐力推出首款HL高负载轮胎press.pirelli.com
Pirelli presented its first high-load-index tyre, designed primarily for electric or hybrid cars and SUVs. The Lucid Air is set to be the first car to use the new Pirelli HL tyres.
2021.06.10
Reported2021.06.10
Pirelli partners with Rogue Racing and Theory Global Enduro[12]倍耐力与 Rogue Racing 和 Theory Global Enduro 建立合作press.pirelli.com
Pirelli announced partnerships with the Rogue Racing team and Theory Global Enduro team to race its gravity tyre prototypes in the 2021 DH World Cup and Enduro World Series.

Sources22 sources

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