Pirelli announced today which compounds will be available in Formula 1 in 2026, bringing something new: the exclusion of the softest type, C6, which had been introduced at the beginning of the season.
It debuted at , in May, and has since been used in three more stages. But new tests carried out by the manufacturer indicated that its performance was very similar to that of the C5 tires.
“After completing an analysis in the last test session in Mexico City, the Italian company, with the approval of the FIA, has established which compounds will be homologated on December 15th,” Pirelli announced in a statement, this Monday (24).
According to the manufacturer, it was completed on September 1st, taking into account as much as possible the changes imposed by the new regulations, which will be introduced in 2026.
“This factor complicated the tests, as it was not possible to test the tires on real 2026 cars, which will use 18-inch tires that are slightly narrower than the current ones,” the company clarified.
The range of dry track tires will be made up of five types: from the hardest C1 to the softest, the C5, all with a profile similar to the current one.
Pirelli stated that it tried to ensure that there is a difference in performance between the compounds to guarantee more strategy options for the teams.
“More recent tests showed that the time difference between the C5 and C6 prototypes was too small compared to the others, without offering any significant performance advantage,” concluded the company.
A final test is still scheduled for December 9th, right after the Abu Dhabi GP, at the Yas Marina circuit.
It will be carried out by the category’s current drivers in a mule car, while young drivers will also take to the track in 2025 cars, equipped with current tires.
