BBS Japan nets Formula One partnership

BBS Japan to supply wheel rims.

Japanese wheel manufacturer BBS Japan has signed a four-year deal with Formula One, which will see it become the exclusive supplier of new standard rims.

The Maedakosen Group company has also signed a three-year deal with NASCAR.

BSS Japan will be partnering with Formula One in a new era as the sport transitions to the 18-inch wheel from the 2022 season. The new season, which will see multiple regulation changes, will also see the introduction of standardised wheels in an attempt to bunch the grid together while keeping it in line with the cost caps.

Takahiro Maeda, President, BBS Japan, stated:

“We want to play up the fact that the wheels we sell commercially are made in the same facilities and using the same processes as the F1 and NASCAR wheels.”

BBS Japan’s predecessor company was the first in the world to mass-produce forged aluminium wheels, which are known for being sturdy yet lightweight. The Japanese company currently produces all forged wheels for Germany’s BBS brand and also supplied wheels for Aston Martin in 2021.

Pirelli, the tyre supplier for Formula One, has already begun its tyre development tests, with the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz having tested out the new tyres at Circuito de Jerez in Spain earlier this year.