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All the new Pirelli compounds
will already be seen in action during the first three races of 2026, with
today’s announcement of the compounds for next season’s opening races:
Australia, China, and Japan. The compounds nominated for these races range
from the hardest to the softest, as was also the case in 2025.
For
Melbourne, from 6-8 March, the nominations are C3, C4, and C5. In 2024 this
combination favoured a two-stop race strategy using all three compounds. At
the start of this year, variable weather meant that intermediates were used
in a race that could be divided into three distinct phases: with only the
middle part permitting slick tyres.
For Shanghai, from 13-16 March,
the middle range of compounds have been nominated: C2, C3, and C4. This
year, the teams had to get to grips with asphalt that had been completely
re-laid along the 5.451-kilometre track. The lateral and longitudinal tyre
demands are about average for the season, with the left-hand side of the car
subjected to the most tyre wear. Next year, Shanghai will host the opening
sprint weekend once more.
Suzuka, from 27-29 March, is one of the
most challenging tracks of the year for tyres and so requires the hardest
selection: C1, C2, and C3. In 2025, the low track temperatures and greater
resistance to graining allowed drivers to extend their hard and medium
stints, with just one pit stop. The situation was different back in 2024,
when thermal degradation prompted at least two stops.
The drivers
will arrive in Melbourne for the first race of the year after three test
sessions. The first test, behind closed doors, will take place from January
26-30 in Barcelona, where for the first time the new tyres will run on the
2026 cars, with each team choosing three days of running from the five days
available. The other two tests will take place in Bahrain from February
11-13 and then 18-20. This lengthy build-up to the season will allow the
teams to prepare with their completely new cars built to the latest
technical regulations.
The use of all five slick compounds during the
opening races will allow Pirelli to profoundly evaluate the performance
differences between all the tyres in the heat of competition, as well as
their resistance to graining and overheating – helping to inform the
nominations for the European races. |
