Pirelli returns to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, one of the most celebrated and exacting hillclimbs in the world, alongside two of the most eagerly anticipated protagonists of the 2026 edition, who have already made their mark during testing: the reigning champion Simone Faggioli, at the wheel of the Nova Proto NP01 ATM Bardahl, and Romain Dumas, campaigning the Ford Super Mustang Mach-E, an electric machine with which the Frenchman aims to reaffirm his status as one of the absolute benchmark drivers in the ‘Race to the Clouds’.
The race, now in its 104th edition, takes place on Sunday 21 June 2026 on the course that climbs towards the summit of Pikes Peak, in Colorado. The route measures approximately 19.99 kilometres, features 156 corners and takes competitors from the start at 2,862 metres to the finish at 4,300 metres, with an elevation gain of around 1,440 metres. The altitude, the often dirty asphalt, the wind and the speed with which weather conditions can change make the event an extreme technical test for drivers, cars and tyres.
Pirelli will tackle the challenge with P Zero tyres developed and optimised for very different requirements. Faggioli will use 13-inch P Zero Hillclimb tyres, specific to his Nova Proto NP01 ATM Bardahl. Dumas will instead be equipped with 18-inch P Zero tyres of GT derivation, adapted to the characteristics of the Ford Super Mustang Mach-E and to the power outputs of the electric vehicle.
The technical reference on the roads of Colorado is entrusted to the Pirelli team led by Terenzio Testoni, Rally Activity Manager, and Matteo Braga, Circuit Activity Manager, who are responsible for the Pikes Peak 2026 project.
"At Pikes Peak, the weather can become the determining factor of the race, with conditions ranging from dry to rain, all the way to snow, not to mention the wind as we saw last year," explains Testoni, who will direct operations on site. “To that we must add the altitude: internal combustion engines lose performance as they climb towards the summit, while electric vehicles do not suffer the same drop in power. But the advantage is only theoretical, because on electric cars weight remains a decisive factor. The goal is the record, but in the event of rain, it will be impossible to achieve it. In addition, this year there is the new factor of the resurfacing of the final section just one week before the race, which will have an effect on the choice of the right set-up.”
"Pirelli brings to its competing teams a development effort on two very different tyre families, both called upon to respond to a competition in which pure performance counts, but is not enough. On the mountain, as the organisers say, the mountain always decides, but being able to rely on high-performance and reliable tyres can make the difference, precisely in the most extreme race conditions and with temperatures that can range from 20 degrees at the start to around freezing at the summit," comments Braga.
In 2025, the race was shortened due to gusts exceeding 100 km/h on the upper section of the course; the finish was moved to Glen Cove, at a lower altitude than the summit, making any attempt at an outright record impossible.
For Faggioli, Pikes Peak 2026 represents the ideal defence of a historic success. In 2025, the Florentine driver claimed overall victory, becoming King of the Mountain with a time of 3'37"196 on the shortened course, at the wheel of the Nova Proto NP01 Bardahl. Behind him was Dumas himself, winner of the Pikes Peak Open class with the Ford Super Mustang Mach-E in 3'42"252. In that edition, the Pirelli P Zero-shod cars occupied the top five overall positions.
The 2025 result completed a journey that Faggioli began in 2018, when the multiple Italian and European hillclimb champion made his Pikes Peak debut, finishing second overall with the Norma M20 SF PKP in 8'37"230, behind Dumas.
The French champion, for his part, remains one of the most important names in the recent history of the race. Dumas has won the King of the Mountain title on multiple occasions and in 2018 set the outright Pikes Peak record, becoming the first driver to go under eight minutes on the full course.
His collaboration with Ford has already produced significant results: in 2023, Dumas set the Electric Modified Truck/Van class record with the Pirelli-shod Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2 in 8'47"682, while in 2024 he claimed his fifth overall victory at Pikes Peak with the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, also equipped with P Zero tyres.
