The FIA has announced Bridgestone Corporation as the sole tyre supplier for the Formula E World Championship starting from the 2026/27 season. The announcement was made at the World Motor Sport Council in Baku, the partnership will see Bridgestone supplying tyres for Formula E through the 2029/30 Season. Bridgestone will take over from Hankook, which is the present tyre supplier for the single-seater electric racing championship.
The collaboration aims to provide Bridgestone with the necessary data to develop and refine sustainable technology and accelerate innovation. The announcement also marks Bridgestone’s return to a World Motorsport Championship since it stopped supplying tyres to Formula 1 at the end of 2010. Meanwhile, Hankook has been signed on as the World Rally Championship (WRC) sponsor.
Speaking about the collaboration with the FIA Formula E championship, Shu Ishibashi, Global CEO and Representative Executive Officer - Bridgestone Corporation, said, “Carrying on our 60-year legacy in motorsports, we are very excited about being the FIA’s sole tire supplier for Formula E from the 2026 -2027 season. Sharing the passion to race and the passion to win, Bridgestone has empowered the best performance of cars, drivers and teams in racing conditions by repeatedly taking on the ultimate challenges while ensuring safety and peace of mind based on our fundamental principle ‘tyres carry life’.”
Some of the challenges in Formula E have been developing tyres that sustain for longer on the track and are capable of handling the immediate influx of torque that can wear out the tyre faster. The learnings will be crucial in the development of next-generation tyres for electric vehicles.
“As we face our next stage, Bridgestone aims to evolve sustainable global premium motorsports products with our enduring passion to embrace the ultimate challenge and to pursue excellence in every moment. The core of our supply arrangement with the FIA will be the expansion and enhancement of “Enliten’ tyre product technology, enabling “ultimate customisation” that we define as our “new premium in the EV era”. I am looking forward to starting our activities in the Formula E from 2026-2027 season,” added Ishibashi.
The 2023/24 Formula E season is set to kick off in Mexico in January next year with the racing series making a stop in India for the Hyderabad e-Prix in February. While there are no Indian drivers on the grid, Mahindra Racing, the only Indian team in Formula E, has brought in Kush Maini as its new reserve driver for the upcoming season.
