[Rumour] Bridgestone eyes F1 tyre return, 2029 at earliest
Bridgestone is working on a return as Formula 1's tyre supplier for the first time since 2010, RacingNews365 reported on Monday 26 October. Bridgestone staff were in the paddock at the Singapore and United States Grands Prix, and the report says the company is eyeing the role held exclusively by Pirelli. Nothing has been confirmed, and 2029 is the earliest a new supplier could race.
Credibility: medium — First reported by: RacingNews365 (analysis by Sàndor Mészáros, citing unnamed sources). Picked up by: Crash.net, GPFans NL. Response: no public comment from Bridgestone, Pirelli or the FIA. Basis: every report traces back to RacingNews365's sources, and no outlet has independently confirmed it.
What was reported
According to RacingNews365, a Bridgestone delegation attended the last two races, in Singapore and the United States (Austin), for background talks about a comeback. Its sources rate Bridgestone's chance of being picked as the next supplier as strong, and say the bid being prepared is considerably stronger than the 2023 effort that lost out to Pirelli. All of this rests on anonymous sources; Bridgestone has said nothing on the record.
The group reportedly included Hiroshi Imai. Per GPFans NL, Imai worked at Bridgestone from 1990 to 2008 and at McLaren from 2009 to 2025, including as director of race engineering. Bridgestone brought him back in 2025 to lead its motorsport division after a restructuring, and the report says F1 ambitions helped attract him.
Why 2029
Pirelli has been F1's exclusive supplier since 2011. Its deal now runs to the end of 2028, but the sources differ on when the extension option was exercised: Crash.net says the FIA did so in June, while RacingNews365 and GPFans NL say July. Either way, 2029 is the earliest a different manufacturer could start. No date has been announced for a new tender.
The process is described as follows: the FIA opens a tender and picks the strongest technical bid, then proposes it to Formula 1, which handles the commercial negotiations. So today's report concerns moves around a possible bid, not a decision.
Rivals and background
RacingNews365 says Pirelli may try to renew again. Hankook's interest has been known for some time, and there are rumours that Michelin is weighing another attempt. The sources expect the contest to be fierce.
Bridgestone fought a tyre war with Michelin from 1997 to 2006, was the exclusive supplier for four seasons from 2007, and left F1 at the end of 2010. From the 2026-27 season it becomes Formula E's exclusive tyre supplier, and it is active in IndyCar through Firestone. Crash.net also notes that Pirelli becomes the single supplier for MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE from 2027.
What to watch
A change of tyre supplier would reshape the cars' limits and race strategy after 2029, so the story matters if it firms up. For now it is one outlet's reporting, picked up by two others. Whether Bridgestone or the FIA say anything around this weekend's Mexico City Grand Prix or later in the season is the next thing to check.