GP: Detroit GP
Date: 22 June 1986
Winner: Ayrton Senna - Lotus
Coloured tyres are a feature of today's F1, with different shades indicating different compounds.
It's an idea that harks back to a stroke of Pirelli communications genius back in the Eighties.
This colourful tale first saw the light of day at this race in the USA.
The Benetton family had just bought the Toleman team and “United Colors” was the company's famous slogan that characterised the Italian clothing company's push to shake up the sport.
To this end, the two cars driven by Gerhard Berger and Teo Fabi rolled out in Detroit with tyre sidewalls coloured green, blue red and orange, to match the bodywork with the predominantly green yet multicoloured brushstroked engine cover.
It proved an immediate hit, generating column inches, even if the on-track performance was not great.
Berger and Fabi qualified 12th and 17th before both retiring in the race. Ayrton Senna started from pole, securing the fourth win of his career, his first at a street circuit.
By the end of the season, Benetton had picked up just 19 points, but great success would eventually follow.
In 2025 Pirelli will hit the 500 F1® Grands Prix mark during the season.
Legacy of Speed series looks back at the fifty most significant Grands Prix from Pirelli's time on the F1 World Championship trail.
