History corner - What makes this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix special for Pirelli?

This weekend witnesses Zandvoort play host to the first race after the summer break. However, Sunday’s Dutch Grand Prix will be a special F1 round for the sport’s sole tyre manufacturer, Pirelli for a very different reason.

This weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix marks a milestone in Pirelli’s time in Formula 1, as this race will be the five hundredth world championship round of motorsport’s blue riband category in which the Italian marque has had an official presence.

The story dates back to 13 May 1950 and the British Grand Prix, which was also the very first world championship event. That day at Silverstone, four Alfa Romeos and four Maseratis were fitted with Pirelli tyres and the race winner Giuseppe Farina, followed home by Luigi Fagioli and Red Parnell, all driving Alfas, gave the Italian tyres a clean sweep of the podium places.

Since then, Pirelli has been present at 499 events, split between three eras: from 1950 to 1958, from 1981 to 1991 (although not in 1987 and 1988) and, from 2021 onwards, it has been the FIA Formula 1 World Championship’s Global Tyre Partner.

There will be celebrations at the Zandvoort track and these will continue the following weekend when Monza hosts the Italian Grand Prix, of which Pirelli is the Title Sponsor. In the Netherlands, all the cars and all the slick tyres will carry a special 500 GP logo, which was revealed in London on 18 February at the celebrations for 75 years of Formula 1.

In Monza, team personnel and drivers, will join senior management from F1, the FIA and Pirelli for a celebratory photo a few hours before the race start.