Four thousand Pirelli tyres on track at Silverstone

It's going to be an all-Pirelli weekend when the Silverstone track action gets underway tomorrow. Because, for the first time ever, the usual trio of F1, F2 and F3, will also be joined by F4 competitors. In this case, from the FIA certified British F4 championship

Apart from the usual F1, F2 and F3, there is also a round of the FIA certified British F4 championship. All 98 cars (20 in F1, 22 in F2, 30 in F3 and 26 in F4) which between them will take part in seven races (Sunday's Grand Prix and two races each for the other series) over Saturday and Sunday will be fitted with Pirelli tyres. It's proof of Pirelli's level of commitment to single-seater racing. On top of this, the company recently won the tender to be sole supplier to all Formula Regional series, certified by the FIA. These will run a new generation of car as from 2026. It goes to show just how vital a role Pirelli plays in the world of motorsport, especially in the support of young drivers aiming to reach the highest level of single-seater racing.

The Silverstone F4 race is a one-off event, which does not count towards the championship, but it will showcase a lot of talented youngsters at the start of their careers. 26 drivers are taking part, from 15 different countries. It was in F4 that two drivers now vying for the Formula 1 world championship crown first cut their teeth: Lando Norris won the championship in 2015 and Oscar Piastri was runner-up two years later. There are other past F4 champions racing this weekend: Luke Browning, who took the title in 2020 and Alex Dunne (2022) are racing in F2, while the 2023 champion, Louis Sharp is in his first season of F3. Worth noting that Thomas Bearman, Haas driver Ollie's little brother will be on the grid, as well as two regular F1 academy competitors, Nina Gademan and Ella Lloyd.