What you may not know is the fact that Pirelli has been in the Formula One since 1950. Not since 2011. Besides Pirelli, also Dunlop, Firestone and Englebert were active as supplier in 1950. The manufacturer would stay In the Formula One until 1958 when they supplied the Maserati’s on the grid. With a brief return from 1981 until 1986, Pirelli left the grid for two seasons to re-appear in 1989 supplying most of the Italian teams. Only one Italian team was missing in 1989 that was Scuderia Ferrari. While Ferrari stayed with Goodyear in 1990 a secret test with Pirelli, rubber was near happening.
To be honest I’m not sure how secret this Ferrari-Pirelli test was in the summer of 1990 at Fiorano, exactly the 15th of August 1990. I just recently uncovered a little piece of info regarding this test. Just two sentences written on a piece of paper with the date. However, the secrecy seems to be there as researching this test took some time. Only to uncover bits and pieces to write the story. If I missed any information let me know!
The test did not happen as Ferrari had bad results during those years. In fact Alain Prost finished second in the championship with five victories! With Mansell on place five with another win. However, Pirelli and Ferrari were no strangers of each other in the Formula One. Already in 1950, they supplied Ferrari with the tyres. The strategy could have been, with luring Ferrari to sign a deal with them, to bring it as a pure Italian powered car.
Anyway, the gossiping about a Ferrari-Pirelli test were already going on in the autumn of 1990. When Italian sources were sure that one of the Ferrari’s, probably the 641, was fitted with a new compound Pirelli tyre. Alain Prost was the driver that tested in the summer of 1990 at Fiorano. At first, all those involved denied this test ever happened. There was no evidence, even when Pirelli told in Autosport in February 1991 they did completed a test. The spokesperson from Goodyear denied any involvement and that Cesare Fiorio and Alain Prost knew from nothing.
However, in an interview with the Italian in Gazetta dello Sport years later as Pirelli would return to the Formula One he explained the test. When Pirelli returned in the Formula One in 1989, mostly supplying the small and Italian teams, those teams showed some amazing results. Especially, Scuderia Italia, Brabham and Minardi. With Tyrrell, joining the Pirelli club the success was complete. This caught the attention from Fiorio. In the past he already worked with the company, the first contact was only one phone call ahead.
The first meeting, in all secrecy due to their contact with Goodyear, was with Dario Calzavara in the summer of 1990. To seek opportunities to test the Pirelli tyres, and how to solve the legal issues. The solution you may ask, misleading everyone who is not involved! To do so Alain Prost was wearing a white helmet during the test, while the Pirelli tyres would appear at Fiorano in a white van. One of the employees had taken steps to erase the Pirelli logo’s from the tyres.
It seems that the test was a success and Ferrari was eventually considering terminating their contract with Goodyear in favour of Pirelli. However, Ferrari would keep on racing with Goodyear tyres instead. There was a new four-year contract signed. It seems, after losing Ferrari, Pirelli lost it’s interest in the Formula One. The 1991 season would be their last season in the sport. Until their return twenty years later on the grid. Only to be reunited with Ferrari.
Carlo Banchieri director of strategy and product from Pirelli stated that they were looking to supply a top team in the Formula One. In their scope were Benetton and Ferrari. Eventually they got the chance to discuss it with Ferrari and eventually test the tyres on Fiorano, the 15th of August 1990.
