Ferrari is taking a transparent and decisive technical course for the 2026 Method 1 season by inserting tyre administration on the very core of its total efficiency philosophy. For the upcoming regulatory cycle, the Maranello-based staff is making a deliberate and calculated dedication to understanding and exploiting tyre behaviour in far higher depth than in earlier seasons. Loic Serra, Ferrari’s technical director, has recognized the administration of tyre compounds as one of many elementary pillars of the brand new period, treating it as a non-negotiable reference level round which many different design choices are being constructed.
This can be a essential technical space through which the Scuderia has chosen to speculate a major quantity of human, computational and monetary assets. The target stays clear and unchanged: to extract the utmost potential efficiency from the tyres so as to entry peak grip throughout a variety of working situations. Tyre grip instantly impacts lap time, consistency over a race stint, and strategic flexibility, making it one of the crucial influential components in fashionable Method 1 efficiency. Ferrari’s intention is to make sure that the automotive can function inside an optimum tyre window extra persistently, no matter observe structure, ambient temperatures or race situations.
There was in depth dialogue all through the paddock relating to the end-of-season exams that concluded yesterday on the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi. These post-season on-track periods have confirmed to be extraordinarily precious, notably for Pirelli, because the Italian tyre producer continued its improvement work forward of the 2026 Method 1 laws. The first goal for Pirelli was to evaluate whether or not the information generated by superior simulations correlates precisely with real-world tyre behaviour noticed on the circuit.
On the similar time, the data collected throughout these exams can also be of elementary significance for the groups themselves, even when the highlight isn’t on them throughout such periods. The drivers, together with skilled race winners and youthful abilities, have been primarily tasked with executing predefined run plans fairly than extracting outright efficiency. Their function throughout the check day was subsequently largely operational, permitting engineers and tyre specialists to deal with knowledge acquisition fairly than lap time.
The 2026 Method 1 vehicles shall be fully completely different from the present technology of machines, a reality that will seem apparent however stays important to underline. Each longitudinal hundreds, corresponding to braking and acceleration forces, and lateral hundreds, generated throughout cornering, will change considerably. This is because of a mix of revised aerodynamic laws and altered energy unit traits, which collectively will reshape how forces are transmitted by the tyres.
This context naturally raises an necessary query: how is Pirelli in a position to extract significant and consultant knowledge from these exams, provided that the present vehicles don’t replicate the 2026 specs? It’s understood that Pirelli has entry to extremely detailed simulations of the long run vehicles, developed in collaboration with the groups and the FIA.
For that reason, the tyre provider already has so-called first-attempt reference values for the longitudinal and lateral hundreds appearing on the tyres. Primarily based on the structure and traits of the Yas Marina circuit, particular cornering speeds are imposed throughout the check runs. These parameters are fastidiously chosen to emulate the situations that the 2026 vehicles are anticipated to generate on the tyres, even when the bodily vehicles on observe are nonetheless primarily based on the present laws.
The brand new tyres themselves may even characteristic completely different dimensions, introducing one other layer of complexity. The entrance tyres shall be diminished in width by 25 millimetres, whereas the rear tyres shall be diminished by 30 millimetres. This alteration represents a considerable shift in the way in which tyres work together with the asphalt.
Inside Method 1, such a modification inevitably produces a sequence of extremely vital, and doubtlessly decisive, penalties. A diminished tyre footprint means a smaller contact patch between the tyre and the observe floor. As a direct end result, the floor space answerable for dissipating warmth is diminished, rising the danger of overheating underneath sure situations. For Pirelli, it was subsequently extraordinarily necessary to evaluate the blistering resistance of the 2026 tyres, notably when subjected to sustained hundreds and high-energy inputs.
F1, 2026: key knowledge for tyre utilization from subsequent season
As beforehand talked about, Method 1 groups can even start to extract precious and actionable details about the brand new tyres throughout these exams. Tyre administration is extensively considered one of the crucial vital traits of a aggressive Method 1 automotive. Season after season, the identical sample emerges: when a automotive is ready to deal with its tyres accurately, sustaining them inside the best working window, it tends to ship a persistently excessive stage of efficiency.
This development has been evident throughout a number of championships and completely different regulatory eras. A transparent and up to date instance is Ferrari’s tyre administration, which proved to be a notable weak spot, notably throughout the newest season. Regardless of having drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton able to extracting efficiency, the automotive usually struggled to protect tyre life over a stint, compromising each qualifying tempo and race-day competitiveness.
Every staff gives Pirelli with its personal inside estimates for the anticipated 2026 load ranges. These projections are then processed by the tyre provider to create a mean reference mannequin that displays the general grid. On the similar time, every particular person staff is ready to derive its personal dataset from the check runs, and these outcomes can differ considerably from one staff to a different relying on design philosophy and setup selections.
One of the vital necessary parameters collected throughout this course of considerations the vertical stiffness of the tyre. This worth describes how a lot the tyre compound compresses vertically when a given load is utilized. Vertical stiffness performs an important function in figuring out how the automotive reacts to aerodynamic hundreds, kerbs, and floor irregularities.
This parameter is very necessary for aerodynamic improvement, because the millimetres of vertical deflection should be precisely accounted for when defining the ride-height working window. Though the wing-car period has formally come to an finish, the ground will stay an important part for producing downforce within the subsequent regulatory cycle. Its effectivity continues to be strongly linked to its distance from the reference airplane, specifically the asphalt floor.
Naturally, this worth isn’t fixed and varies relying on velocity, gasoline load, tyre put on and observe situations. This variability makes exact modelling much more necessary.
For that reason, the accuracy of the estimates that groups will produce after the Abu Dhabi exams is prime to the right and environment friendly administration of their 2026 Method 1 tasks. At this stage of improvement, groups have already got a tyre mannequin built-in into their simulators. Nonetheless, they’re now able to replace and refine this mannequin utilizing real-world knowledge. This brings the main target again to Ferrari, which struggled considerably to completely perceive tyre behaviour throughout the 2025 championship.
F1, 2026: Ferrari has designed its next-generation automotive with a robust deal with tyres
There may be little doubt that Ferrari’s difficulties in managing tyres stemmed from an incorrect baseline technical strategy with the SF-25. The automotive usually did not function the tyres inside their optimum working vary, resulting in inconsistent efficiency throughout completely different circuits. For that reason, the flexibility to conduct in depth indoor simulation work on such a decisive part because the tyres is taken into account completely essential in preparation for 2026.
It’s extensively understood all through the paddock how important it’s to take advantage of the tyres accurately so as to unlock most grip. In line with out there data, Ferrari has positioned this side firmly on the centre of its 2026 venture, treating tyre behaviour as a guideline fairly than an afterthought.
The present generations of Method 1 tyres have an unlimited affect on total efficiency, and fashionable vehicles are closely depending on them. In consequence, the Maranello-based staff has designed its new automotive with tyre behaviour clearly in thoughts. Amongst different components, particular improvement work has been carried out on each the entrance and rear suspension techniques.
No matter whether or not a pull-rod or push-rod configuration is in the end adopted, these suspension teams should be able to maximising the exploitation of the tyre compounds. Their function isn’t solely to manage mechanical grip but additionally to handle how hundreds are transferred to the tyres all through a lap.
One other necessary space of focus considerations the tyre hysteresis cycle. Ferrari has collected a considerable amount of knowledge referring to how a lot warmth the compound absorbs and subsequently dissipates underneath particular working situations. This data is extraordinarily precious for refining and enhancing the mathematical tyre mannequin utilized in simulation environments.
As a direct consequence of those findings, Ferrari can also be updating the whole automotive mannequin inside its simulator. This holistic strategy permits engineers to review interactions between tyres, suspension, aerodynamics and automobile dynamics in higher element.
The final word goal is to grasp exactly underneath which situations the tyre delivers most grip. This evaluation extends past purely thermal issues and likewise consists of the masses utilized to the tyre in complicated situations, corresponding to mixed braking whereas turning the steering wheel. Whereas a mule automotive can not present completely absolute or definitive knowledge on this space, it nonetheless delivers important data. Ferrari is predicted to analyse this knowledge extensively by simulation work within the coming weeks, utilizing it as a basis for finalising key choices for its 2026 Method 1 automotive.
Dec 15, 2025
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