Pirelli outlines 2026 tyre overhaul and compound rules for new Formula 1 era
Formula 1 will introduce narrower tyres as part of the sport's major regulatory overhaul for the 2026 season, while Italian supplier Pirelli has confirmed the compound lineup and allocations for race weekends.
The 2026 campaign marks one of the most significant technical resets in Grand Prix history, aiming to create smaller, lighter, and more agile machinery. While cars will retain 18-inch wheel rims, the tyre dimensions are set to shrink: front tyre width will be reduced by 25mm, with the rear tyres trimmed by 30mm to align with the revised aerodynamic and chassis requirements.
Compound Lineup and the Dropping of C6
Pirelli, which has served as Formula 1's sole tyre supplier since 2011 and holds a supply agreement running through at least the 2028 championship, will maintain a primary slick range spanning five compounds: C1 (hardest) through C5 (softest).
For each Grand Prix, Pirelli will select three compounds from the pool, badged under the familiar colour-coded designations:
- Red (Soft): Maximum grip and peak performance over short stints, but with the highest degradation rate.
- Yellow (Medium): Balanced grip and endurance, central to race strategy flexibility.
- White (Hard): Lowest degradation and longest lifespan, trading off outright single-lap pace.
The experimental 'C6' ultra-soft compound, introduced in 2025 for specific street venues including Monaco, Imola, Canada, and Azerbaijan, will not return in 2026. Pirelli concluded that the performance delta between C5 and C6 was too negligible to justify keeping a sixth slick specification in rotation.
Race Weekend Allocations and Wet Conditions
Tyre allocations remain strictly regulated. On a standard race weekend, each driver receives 13 sets of dry slick tyres, four sets of green intermediate tyres, and three sets of blue full wet tyres. Drivers reaching the final qualifying shootout (Q3) receive an additional soft set, and all competitors must use at least two distinct slick compounds in dry conditions.
Sprint race formats adjust the dry allocation slightly to 12 slick sets, alongside five intermediate sets and two sets of full wets, ensuring teams have sufficient treaded options should weather turn unpredictable.