With the all-new technical and engine rules for the upcoming season, Pirelli may even provide totally different tyres to the groups had at their disposal throughout the previous seasons. F1Technical’s senior author Balazs Szabo delivers some stats and information concerning the event strategy of the 2026 F1 tyres.
Pirelli homologated its tyres for the 2026 season on the fifteenth of December, adopted by a complete growth and validation programme all year long.
The 2026 tyre vary retains the 18‑inch wheel format launched in 2022 however options barely narrower dimensions to swimsuit the subsequent technology of lighter, extra agile automobiles.
The penultimate on‑monitor operating befell in Mexico Metropolis, the place Sauber and Mercedes carried out the final evaluations of the softer compounds on October 28–29. With the constructions already validated on September 1, the Mexico take a look at marked the ultimate step earlier than the definitive compound approval scheduled for December 15.
The event cycle spanned 15 two‑day take a look at classes throughout seven international locations, reflecting the size of the regulatory shift coming in 2026. Pirelli started the method in 2024 with three preliminary classes: dry‑compound checks in Barcelona and Mugello in September, adopted by moist‑climate operating at Magny‑Cours in November. These early outings laid the groundwork for a much more intensive programme the next yr.
In 2025, Pirelli carried out twelve further classes, with the vast majority of operating concentrated in Spain and Italy. Barcelona hosted two slick‑tyre checks in February and June, the latter instantly after the Spanish Grand Prix, whereas Jerez supplied additional dry‑climate information throughout a February outing.
Italian circuits performed a central function as effectively, with Fiorano used for artificially moist testing in June and each Monza and Mugello internet hosting classes later within the yr. Nonetheless, antagonistic climate at each venues disrupted plans for slick‑tyre analysis, limiting the quantity of dry‑compound mileage Pirelli had hoped to assemble.
Moist‑climate growth was additionally carried out at Paul Ricard in January and at Silverstone in Could, the place the monitor was once more artificially soaked to check the Moist and Intermediate compounds. Pirelli returned to Silverstone after the British Grand Prix in July to work on the tougher finish of the slick‑tyre vary, utilizing information collected in the course of the pre‑season take a look at in Bahrain to refine the brand new building.
Forward of the ultimate Mexico take a look at, the softer compounds had been additionally assessed in Budapest in early August, instantly following the Hungarian Grand Prix. All ten System One groups participated in at the very least one session in the course of the programme, having declared their availability to the FIA and Pirelli all year long. This broad involvement ensured that the tyre provider gathered information throughout a variety of automobile traits, setups, and driving kinds.
The total grid had the chance to check the finalised specification in the course of the put up‑season take a look at in Abu Dhabi on December 9–10, the place groups ran mule automobiles tailored to the brand new tyre measurement.
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