MAX SPORTS: Pirelli

Showing posts with label Pirelli. Show all posts

Tuesday, 25 November 2025

PIRELLI CONFIRM 2026 TYRE COMPOUNDS AS F1 GETS SET FOR A NEW ERA OF REGULATIONS

Pirelli have announced which tyre compounds the teams will have to race with in 2026.

Italian tyre manufacturer Pirelli have confirmed which tyres they are going to supply to the 11 F1 teams in the grid next season, as the sport gets set to move into a new era of racing.

This season, Pirelli gave the teams three compounds per race from their range of six different tyres, along with the intermediate and full wet weather options.

That model continues in 2026, but Pirelli will be choosing three compounds from the C1 through to the C5 rubber – with no C6 tyre option next season.

The last tyre test came in Mexico City just a few weeks ago, and saw the teams handed some extra compounds during the first practice session of the weekend. Pirelli have analysed this data to come up with their choices for 2026, with approval from the FIA.

The drivers will have five different compounds in play next season in dry weather running

Cars will run slightly narrower 18-inch tyres in 2026 compared to the current crop of vehicles. But Pirelli declared themselves satisfied that they had a good range of rubber for next season, which is set to feature 24 race weekends once again.

Pirelli’s statement read:

“Tyre development was carried out on the basis of forecast data as supplied by the teams, using simulations referring to loads and speeds predicted for the end of the 2026 season, while pursuing objectives similar to those of this year.

“The models were validated based on the results of development track testing with mule cars modified to reproduce the characteristics of the next generation of cars.”

Pirelli hope to create strategy differences with next year's tyre compounds

The C6 tyre was used this season at Imola, Monaco, Canada and Azerbaijan. But Pirelli felt there was not enough delta between that compound and the C5 tyre to justify its inclusion in 2026.

The tyres will be tested once more in Abu Dhabi, on December 9. The test will be conducted by the current drivers, while the young driver test will feature the 2025 tyres on the current cars.

There are then three lots of pre-season testing for the teams to further understand the new compounds, before the first race of the season in Australia, on March 8.

- F1

Monday, 17 November 2025

PIRELLI CONFIRM QATAR GP FORMULA 1 TYRES REACH A MAXIMUM OF 25 LAPS

Pirelli confirm that tyres used in the Qatar Grand Prix weekend can cover a maximum of 25 laps, including laps run under the Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car, due to the very demanding track in terms of energy, thermal stress and wear 🛞

Thursday, 12 June 2025

F1 TYRE COOLING TRICKY TO BE SCUPPERED IN REWARDED 2026 RULEBOOK

The FIA has closed off a potential loophole with the 2026 cars

Formula 1 teams’ ability to cool tyres in hot temperatures will be made harder by the FIA, after having reworded some of its regulations for the 2026 season.

Next year sees the introduction of brand new regulations, which brings an air of excitement given the mystery of how teams will approach and interpret them.

One of the current controversies over the last year, which has spread across this season and the last, has been McLaren’s ability to keep its tyre temperatures cool when the track temperature is high.

It has led to a number of contentious moments of suspicion being cast upon the Woking-based squad as to the legality of its practices.

However, significant scrutiny has so far concluded that the team has done nothing illegal, but any potential advantages gained this year may be a thing of the past come next year.

This has led to the FIA deciding to reword the only piece of the regulations that pertains to tyre temperatures – Article 10.8.3.

Previously, it read: “d. The only permitted type of tyre heating devices are blankets that comply with the design prescriptions listed in Article C10.8.4.

e. Any other device, system or procedure (except for driving of the car) the purpose and/or effect of which is to heat, or maintain the temperature of the hubs, or brakes, above the ambient air temperature, or to maintain their temperature if they are already warm, is prohibited.”

This has led teams to suggest that this could lead, and has led, teams to exploit this, and at a meeting of the World Motorsport Council, the FIA decided to rewrite this section.

It now reads: d. “The only permitted type of tyre heating devices are blankets that comply with the design prescriptions listed in Article C10.8.4.

e. With the exception of air entering through the apertures defined in C3.16.6 and C3.16.16, and the blankets permitted in (d) above. Any device, system or procedure (except for driving of the car) whose purpose and/or effect is to heat, cool, or maintain the temperature of the complete wheels, hubs, or brakes is prohibited.”

What might this change do to McLaren, and what will it mean for F1?

Article 3.17.1 has also been amended, with a new clause added which states that suspension fairings “must be internally sealed to prevent any internal airflow.”

This also shuts down any potential usage of the fairings to enable air to reach the wheel assemblies to cool the tyres.

Whilst it is now beyond reasonable doubt that McLaren is completely in the clear on its practices of tyre temperature regulation, this tweak in the rulebook might curb its ability to gain an advantage over its rivals.

Despite the 2026 regulations conveying an air of unpredictability about the forthcoming season and which team might have interpreted the regulations best, it will be a blow to McLaren’s chances of providing continuity on its current domination.

It will also open up a debate on whether the FIA has unnecessarily intervened on an issue in which a team has found a way to legally gain an advantage for the sake of narrowing the competition, rather than leaving teams to figure out their own way of catching up.

- Jack Oliver Smith

Thursday, 17 April 2025

PIRELLI REVEAL WHEN BRAND - NEW C6 TYRE WILL MAKE F1 DEBUT

Pirelli has announced that its new C6 tyre is to make its F1 debut in May's Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend.

For the 2025 season, a new compound has been added to Pirelli's range of options, with the C6 tyre being a step softer than the current C5 softest.

The new compound has been tested on-track but is yet to make its official grand prix debut, which is to come at Imola across the weekend of May 16th-18th.

Carrying the red-marked soft tyre bands, the C6 will be joined at the Italian circuit by the C5 as the medium tyre and the C4 as the hard.

The C4-C5-C6 range will be the softest Pirelli has brought to any grand prix in the 2025 season thus far, with the Italian firm also confirming that the Sprint weekend in Miami will use the C3-C4-C5 tyres, with the C5 serving as the soft for that weekend.

For this weekend's Bahrain GP, Pirelli has gone for the hardest possible range in its catalogue, with the C1-C2-C3 tyres serving as the hard, medium and softs, respectively.

This is because the Sakhir International Circuit is extremely tough on tyres due to its rough track surface and heavy traction zones.

Pirelli has also promised to be "more proactive" following criticisms of its tyres in the Japanese GP, with minimal wear and degradation leading to a relatively straight-forward one-stop race, largely devoid of overtaking action.

- Jake Nichol

Sunday, 30 March 2025

WHAT HAPPENS TO F1 TYRES AFTER A RACE?

Wednesday, 29 January 2025

LEWIS HAMILTON CRASHES FERRARI IN PRE-SEASON TESTING

Hamilton crashed the Ferrari on his second day of running at Barcelona

Lewis Hamilton has crashed his Ferrari during the team's pre-season testing programme in Spain.

The seven-time champion was unhurt after losing control of the team's 2023 car at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Wednesday.

Ferrari declined to comment on the incident, which happened on Hamilton's second day of running at the Spanish track, where he is sharing the car with team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The incident happened as Ferrari seek to embed Hamilton into the team as effectively as possible before the start of the season at the Australian Grand Prix on 14-16 March.

Ferrari regard the crash as nothing abnormal as Hamilton learns the characteristics of an unfamiliar car after 12 years with Mercedes, within the significant restrictions imposed on testing in F1.

Ferrari are running a limited programme in the 2023 car, the most recent model Hamilton is allowed to drive.

F1's testing restrictions dictate that current race drivers can complete a maximum of 1,000km (621 miles) of what is known as TPC (testing of previous cars) running.

Hamilton completed 30 laps at the team's Fiorano test track on 22 January before he and Leclerc moved on to this week's three days of running at Barcelona, home of the Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari are giving no details of the test, where Hamilton is learning Ferrari's procedures and working methods and building an understanding with race engineer Riccardo Adami and the rest of the engineering group.

Ferrari will launch their 2025 car at Fiorano on 19 February, the day after F1's season launch event at the O2 in London.

Ferrari will give Hamilton further testing miles before the launch in a Pirelli-run tyre test.

The team will run for two days next week, also at Barcelona, on 4-5 February in a 2025 car modified to reflect the effect of the new regulations being introduced for 2026.

McLaren are conducting a similar Pirelli test at Paul Ricard in France this week as the Italian company seeks to define its 2026 product.

- Andrew Benson