Pirelli holds F1 2026 tyre test in Monza, inches closer to finalisation

FormulaRapida.net

3 months ago

Pirelli Motorsport held another two-day test in Monza to run the F1 2026 tyres as they inch closer to finalising the compounds.

Day 1 –

Four teams were on track today at Monza for the first of two days of testing organised by Pirelli to work on 2026 tyre development. Having won the Italian Grand Prix here on Sunday, Max Verstappen was back in action along with Red Bull Racing team-mate Yuki Tsunoda, Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar. The original plan for today was that Red Bull would be on track with Verstappen in the morning and Tsunoda in the afternoon, joined by Drugovich in the Aston Martin. However, with storms and heavy rain forecast for tomorrow morning, the schedule was changed.

After the morning session, Williams and Racing Bulls were ready to get through part of their programme ahead of schedule, running Sainz and Hadjar this afternoon. Aston Martin and Williams ran modified versions of their current cars, the AMR25 and FW47 respectively, adapted to accept the prototype tyres. Red Bull used a mule car based on the 2023 RB19 and Racing Bulls did the same with a VCARB01 from 2024. The overall programme for this test is focussed on finalising what slick compounds to use for next season. In fact, the tyre construction was homologated on 1st September, as per the regulations.

The test in Monza is the seventh session organised by Pirelli so far this year to develop the new tyres which, while sticking with an 18 inch diameter are slightly narrower, by 25 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear. In the morning, the reigning world champion got through his programme, doing 59 laps before handing over to Tsunoda, who did 63 in the afternoon. Verstappen’s best time was a 1’24”117, set on his 25th lap, while the Japanese driver posted a 1’23’’826 on his 30th lap. In the Aston Martin, Drugovich completed 118 laps over the course of the day, with a best time of 1’23”792 set on lap 37.

Carlos Sainz did 49 laps in the Williams with a best time of 1’22’’388 set on lap 30. Isack Hadjar completed 65 laps, his best being a 1’23’’951 set on lap 41. The times have no comparative value as they are linked to the specific programme assigned to each driver. All teams tried the softest compounds in the range. Racing Bulls and Williams ran the C4, C5 and C6, while Red Bull Racing and Aston Martin also tried the C3. The programme began with quick lap runs to see the pure performance levels of the various compounds, before switching to longer runs to check the level of degradation. Ambient temperature ranged from 22°C and 27°C while the track varied between 24°C and 40°C.

Inevitably, tomorrow’s programme will depend on the weather. If it only rains in the morning then the slick tyre testing will resume in the afternoon, with just Racing Bulls and Williams on track. If the rain continues into the afternoon, but not too heavily, then Pirelli might take the opportunity to also test the Cinturato Full Wet and Intermediate tyres. That would produce some useful data relating to the crossover point between the different compounds.

Day 2 –

Pirelli’s two-day test at Monza focusing on developing the 2026 compounds ended with a half-day of track action today. Carlos Sainz in the Williams and Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls lapped in the afternoon, trying a version of the Cinturato Intermediate tyres before switching back to the softer dry tyres from the range. The wet track, caused by the rain which fell on the circuit throughout the morning, gave the chance to test in real-life conditions a solution for the Intermediate tyres that had already been tested at Fiorano – when the track was artificially dampened thanks to the irrigation system at the Italian circuit.

Today’s work, other than evaluating the best options for the C4, C5 and C6 compounds, will thus also allow for a deeper analysis of the crossover phase between intermediates and slicks. Carlos Sainz completed 57 laps, with a best time of 1’22’’108 on lap 24. Isack Hadjar stopped the clock at 1’23’’825 on lap 30 of 56. The ambient temperatures were within the range of 20°C and 25°C, while the tarmac went from 27°C to 32°C. Adding in the laps completed yesterday, which were all on slick tyres courtesy of the same two drivers plus Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda for Red Bull and Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin, in these two days of testing at Monza Pirelli has amassed an overall total of 467 laps for a total of 2,705 kilometres.

Today’s testing was limited to the afternoon since, given the unfavourable weather forecast, the two teams involved had accepted bringing forward half a day of dry running to yesterday. As a result Pirelli has nonetheless managed to collect the necessary data to proceed with the development of the slick compounds to be used next season, which will have to be homologated by December 15. Williams took to the track with a mule car derived from the current FW47 while the Racing Bulls used a modified version of its VCARB01 from 2024.

The modifications to the car were necessary to be able to fit the prototype tyres, which are slightly narrower compared to this year’s tyres, while keeping the same diameter. The slick tyre testing will return at the end of September to the Mugello circuit and then for two more days after the race weekend in Mexico City. In Italy the harder tyres from the range will be finalised while in Mexico the softer tyres will again be put to the test. These dates are the last two on Pirelli’s development calendar for 2025 and they will be followed by the usual end-of-season testing scheduled for December in Abu Dhabi.