The 500th Grand Prix for Pirelli in Formula 1 is not merely a round number, but a milestone that embodies history, technology and legend.

It is a story that began in Great Britain on May 13th, 1950, at the very dawn of the World Championship itself: that weekend at Silverstone, eight single-seaters – four Alfa Romeos and four Maseratis – were fitted with Pirelli tyres, and all three drivers on the podium – in order, Giuseppe Farina, Luigi Fagioli and Reg Parnell, all driving Alfas – claimed victory on the Italian tyres. Since then, Pirelli has taken part in 499 events, spanning three distinct eras: from 1950 to 1958, from 1981 to 1991 (with the exceptions of 1987 and 1988), and from 2011 onwards, when it was appointed Global Tyre Partner of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

It is a story that unfolds like a movie, guiding the reader-viewer through decades of racing. From the dawn of Formula 1 in the 1950s – amid legendary figures, fierce competition and historic victories – to the vibrant era of the 1980s, with unforgettable drivers such as Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet, and on to the challenges of the modern age, the history of motorsport takes shape with the rhythm of cinematic editing: close-ups of the protagonists, sweeping views of iconic circuits, and action sequences that capture the very adrenaline of speed. Making the volume truly unique is an exclusive photographic reportage by Darren Heath, shot at the 2025 British Grand Prix in Silverstone, celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Formula 1 World Championship.

Alongside the images, the narrative is expanded through contributions exploring the relationship between Pirelli and motorsport, in-depth essays, and first-hand accounts from leading figures in the world of Formula 1 – including Stefano Domenicali, Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Jean Todt – as well as from renowned journalists such as Giorgio Terruzzi and Giuseppe Di Piazza. Concluding the volume are dashboards and infographics dedicated to the numbers behind the sport: kilometres driven, victories achieved, records and statistics that distil decades of competition into their most essential form.