Photo: TGR NZ
Pirelli has won the tender to supply tyres to all FIA-recognised Formula Regional championships that will use the category’s second-generation chassis being introduced next year.
The FIA issued the invitiation to tender last October, and interested parties had little over a month before the deadline for submitting interest in suppling tyres for the 2026 to 2028 period.
At the time, the FIA said it would make its decision on who would win the contract no later than January 2025.
It announced its decision last Sunday (June 8), and at the same time confirmed that Pirelli would be providing tyres to all entries in the FIA FRegional World Cup-awarding 2025 Macau Grand Prix and the supporting FIA Formula 4 World Cup races.
Pirelli will develop 15-inch tyres for FRegional’s Gen2 cars, which so far means making them suit the chassis designs from Ligier and Tatuus.
“We are delighted to have been appointed sole tyre supplier for the FIA-certified FRegional championships,” said Pirelli’s motorsport director Mario Isola.
“It is a significant endorsement of the worth of our technology, and the quality and reliability of our tyres, but above all, it recognises our ability to deliver specific products for every level of driver development, meeting the targets set by the FIA and the various promoters.”
Hankook is the current tyre supplier for FRegional Americas, Pirelli has the contract for Europe and New Zealand, Dunlop supplies in Japan and Giti Tyres is the tyre partner of FRegional Middle East and Australia’s planned AU3 championship.
“With Pirelli on board as exclusive tyre partner, FRegional is set to thrive and deliver incredible racing and greater sporting parity across our different championships so that we offer young drivers an equal opportunity to show their skill,” said the FIA’s president Mohammed ben Sulayem.
FRegional was launched as a category in 2018, and its second-generation chassis was intially set for introduction this year. However that was postponed by a year, as learned by Formula Scout in May 2024.
FRegional tyre suppliers
| Series | Tyre supplier |
|---|---|
| FRegional Americas | Hankook (2018-2025), Pirelli (2026-2028) |
| FRegional Asian Championship/Middle East | Giti Tyres (2018-2025), Pirelli (2026-2028) |
| Formula Renault Eurocup | Hanook (2019-2020) |
| W Series | Hankook (2019-2022) |
| FRegional European Championship | Pirelli (2019-2028) |
| Toyota Racing Series/FRegional Oceania | Hankook (2020-2023), Pirelli (2024-2028) |
| FRegional Japanese Championship | Dunlop (2020-2025), Pirelli (2026-2028) |
| Eurocup-3 | Hankook (2023-present) |
| Eurocup-3 winter series | Hankook (2025) |
| AU3 (nee FRegional Australia) | Giti Tyres (2025) |