Pirelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pirelli & C. S.p.A.

Headquarters in Milan, Italy
Type	Public
Traded as	BIT: PIRC
ISIN	ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=IT0005278236 IT0005278236]
Industry	Automotive
Founded	28 January 1872; 153 years ago (1872-01-28) Milan, Italy
Founder	Giovanni Battista Pirelli
Headquarters	Milan , Italy 45°31′10″N 9°12′40″E / 45.5195317°N 9.2111299°E / 45.5195317; 9.2111299
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Li Fanrong (Chairman) Marco Tronchetti Provera (Executive Vice Chairman and CEO)
Products	Tyres for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles
Revenue	€6,615.7 million (2022)
Operating income	€595.6 million (2022)
Net income	€435.9 million (2022)
Total assets	€13.897 billion (2022)
Total equity	€5.454 billion (2022)
Owners	Marco Polo International Italy S.r.l. (ChemChina) (37.01%) (China) Investitori istituzionali italiani (27.32%) (Italy) Camfin S.p.A. (Marco Tronchetti Provera) (14.1%) (Italy) Silk Road Fund (9.02%) (China) Tacticum Investment S.A. (5.64%) LongMarch (3.68%) (China)
Number of employees	31,301 (2022)
Subsidiaries	Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.

Pirelli is a large Italian company that makes tyres. It is based in Milan, Italy. The company is one of the biggest tyre makers in the world. It focuses on making tyres for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.

Pirelli sells its tyres in over 160 countries. It has 19 factories in 13 different countries. The company also has a large network of distributors and shops. In 2015, a Chinese company called ChemChina became the main owner of Pirelli.

Pirelli has been involved in sports since 1907. It provides tyres for major racing events. These include Formula One and the World Superbike Championship. Pirelli's main office is in the Bicocca area of Milan. The company used to be involved in fashion and other areas. Now, it only makes tyres.

In 2017, Pirelli returned to the Milan Stock Exchange. This happened after it decided to focus only on tyres for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. Pirelli also publishes a famous calendar each year. It has featured many well-known photographers since 1964.

Pirelli's History

Pirelli was started in Milan in 1872. The founder was Giovanni Battista Pirelli. At first, the company worked with rubber. They even made equipment for scuba diving. Later, Pirelli focused on making tyres and cables. These cables were used for energy and phones.

In 2005, Pirelli sold its cable business. The new company was named Prysmian. In the 1950s, Alberto Pirelli had a tall building built in Milan. It is called the Pirelli Tower. It stands where the first Pirelli factory was located.

Tyre Innovations

In 1974, Pirelli created a special "wide radial tyre." This was for the Lancia Stratos rally car. Normal racing tyres were not strong enough for the car's power. Pirelli made a wide tyre with a radial structure. This tyre could handle the car's speed and grip. Later, Porsche also started using these tyres for their Porsche 911 Turbo.

In 1988, Pirelli bought an American company called Armstrong Rubber Company. In 2000, Pirelli sold its fiber optic cable business. The company then invested in Telecom Italia. In 2002, Pirelli started making clothing, watches, and glasses.

In 2005, Pirelli sold its cable and energy parts again. The new company was named Prysmian Group. That same year, Pirelli opened its first tyre factory in China. In 2006, they opened a factory in Romania.

Focusing on Tyres

By 2010, Pirelli decided to focus only on making tyres. They sold their other businesses. The Fondazione Pirelli was also created in 2010. This foundation helps to preserve the company's history.

In 2015, ChemChina and other companies bought Pirelli. Pirelli was then removed from the stock exchange. In 2017, Pirelli returned to making bicycle tyres. They launched a new range called P ZERO Velo. In September 2017, Pirelli planned to sell shares again. They returned to the Milan stock exchange in October. In 2019, Pirelli launched new mountain bike tyres called Scorpion. In 2021, Pirelli introduced 18-inch tyres for Formula One cars.

What Pirelli Makes

Pirelli mainly makes tyres for people to use every day. This includes tyres for cars, motorcycles, and bicycles.

Car Tyres

• P ZERO: These tyres are for very fast, high-performance cars. The P ZERO name is also used for dry weather Formula One tyres.
• Cinturato: Tyres for high-end cars. Cinturato is also used for wet-weather Formula One tyres.
• Sottozero: Winter tyres for high-end cars. This name is also used for WRC rally tyres.
• Carrier: Tyres for vans.
• Ice: Tyres made for very cold weather.
• Scorpion: Tyres for SUVs and crossover vehicles.

Motorcycle Tyres

• Diablo: Tyres for road and track racing.
• Angel: Tyres for city riding and daily travel.
• Scorpion: Tyres for both road and off-road riding.

Bicycle Tyres

• P ZERO Velo: Tyres for road racing bikes.
• Cycl-e: Tyres for city and electric bikes.
• Scorpion: Tyres for mountain bikes.
• Cinturato: Tyres for gravel bikes.

Company Information

Main Owners

Here are the main owners of Pirelli as of December 2022:

Board of Directors

The people who lead Pirelli's Board of Directors are:

Marketing and Sponsorships

Pirelli is famous for its annual Pirelli Calendar. It features famous models and actresses. The calendar also shows the work of well-known photographers. Pirelli used to have a famous slogan: "Power is nothing without control."

Pirelli has been the main sponsor of the Italian football club Inter Milan for many years. This sponsorship lasted from 1995 to 2021.

Sports Sponsorships

Pirelli sponsors many different sports teams and events.

Football Sponsorships

Pirelli has sponsored many football teams around the world. Besides Inter Milan, they sponsored Valletta F.C. in Malta. A famous 1998 advertisement showed Brazilian footballer Ronaldo in an Inter Milan uniform.

Pirelli has also sponsored teams in South America. These include S.E. Palmeiras in Brazil, Peñarol in Uruguay, and Vélez Sársfield in Argentina. In England, Pirelli sponsors the stadium of Burton Albion F.C.. It is called Pirelli Stadium because it is next to a Pirelli factory. Pirelli also sponsored the Chinese Super League (CSL) in China. In 2012, they became a sponsor of the Russian Cup.

Motorsport Sponsorships

Pirelli sponsors several Grand Prix races. These include the Spanish Grand Prix and the Hungarian Grand Prix. They also sponsored the 2018 French Grand Prix. Pirelli supported young rally drivers through the FIA Pirelli Star Driver program.

Pirelli was the only tyre supplier for the World Rally Championship from 2008 to 2010. They returned to the championship in 2014. Since 2021, Pirelli has been the only tyre supplier for all three levels of the World Rally Championship. Pirelli has won 181 rally events. They have also helped 25 drivers become WRC champions. Pirelli has also sponsored rally driver Ken Block since 2010.

Other Sports Sponsorships

Pirelli sponsored Emirates Team New Zealand in the 35th America's Cup in 2017. They also sponsored the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and the Ice Hockey World Championships from 2017 to 2021. Pirelli sponsors the Italian and Swiss Ski Teams. From 2014 to 2020, Pirelli also sponsored the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.

Motorsport Tyres

Pirelli has been a major tyre supplier in motorsport for many years.

Formula One Tyres

Pirelli has been the only tyre supplier for Formula One since 2011. They also supplied tyres for Formula One races from 1950 to 1958, 1981 to 1986, and 1989 to 1991. Pirelli also provides tyres for the FIA Formula 2 Championship, FIA Formula 3 Championship, and F1 Academy. These are racing series that help drivers get to Formula One. Pirelli's current deal to supply Formula One tyres lasts until 2027.

Pirelli uses a color system for its Formula One tyres. This helps people know which type of tyre drivers are using.

• White: Hard tyres (for dry weather)
• Yellow: Medium tyres (for dry weather)
• Red: Soft tyres (for dry weather)
• Green: Intermediate tyres (for wet weather)
• Blue: Full wet tyres (for very wet weather)

When Pirelli started supplying tyres in 2011, they were asked to make tyres that wore out quickly. This was to encourage more pit stops and overtaking in races. This made the races more exciting. Over the years, the tyres have changed as the cars have changed.

Pirelli has faced some challenges in Formula One. For example, at the 2013 British Grand Prix, several tyres failed. Pirelli then changed the tyre design to prevent this from happening again. In 2017, Formula One tyres became 25% wider. This made the cars faster in corners. Pirelli had to make tyres that were stronger and did not overheat as easily.

For the 2022 season, Formula One cars had big changes. The tyres also changed. The wheel rims became 18 inches instead of 13 inches. The tyre diameter increased from 660 mm to 720 mm. The side of the tyre also became shorter. This gave the tyres a more modern look.

Superbike World Championship Tyres

Pirelli is the only tyre brand allowed in the Superbike World Championship since 2007. They also supply tyres for other superbike races.

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Tyres

Pirelli will become the only tyre supplier for Moto2 and Moto3 races starting in 2024. This deal with Dorna Sports will last for three seasons.

Global Investments

In 2012, Pirelli signed a deal with an Indonesian company called PT Astra Autoparts. They built a motorcycle tyre factory together. Pirelli owns 60% of this factory. Pirelli wants to grow its business in Southeast Asia. This region has a very large number of motorcycles.

Pirelli Sound System

In 2018, Pirelli launched a special Bluetooth speaker. It looks like a Formula One wheel. It is called P Zero Sound. The speaker is about 12.9 inches (328 mm) wide and weighs 21 pounds (9.5 kg). It has a powerful amplifier and good sound quality. The company IXOOST, which makes motorsport-themed audio systems, created the speaker.

Images for kids

• Pirelli F1 tyre compounds 2019.png

  Pirelli's Formula One tyre compounds with their color codes.

See also

In Spanish: Pirelli para niños

• List of Italian companies
• Formula One tyres