Pirelli confirm C2 hard, C3 medium, C4 soft for 2026 United States Grand Prix

Pirelli lock in C2-C4 allocation as Austin returns to standard format

Pirelli have confirmed the tyre compounds that will be in use for the 2026 United States Grand Prix at Austin's Circuit of The Americas, with the C2, C3 and C4 rubber selected for the weekend.

For this year's event, the C2 has been chosen as the hard compound, the C3 as the medium and the C4 as the soft. That marks a change from last season, when Pirelli brought three non-consecutive compounds — the C1, C3 and C4 — for what was a Sprint weekend. The standard Grand Prix format returns in 2026, meaning drivers will have two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium (marked yellow) and eight sets of the soft (marked red), along with access to the green intermediate and blue full-wet tyres should conditions require them.

An extra set of softs is reserved for the drivers who reach Q3 in Qualifying, while all drivers must use at least two different slick compounds during the race — providing the track is dry.

A demanding lap of COTA

The Italian supplier outlined the challenges of the 5.513km Texan circuit in its weekend preview.

"The Austin circuit, which is 5.513km long, features a mix of high-speed corners, rapid direction changes and slower sections that demand strong traction," Pirelli's preview reads. "To be competitive, teams must combine good straight-line speed with efficient aerodynamic load through the more technical sections, an aspect that becomes even more important with the current generation of Formula 1 cars.

"From a tyre perspective, COTA places demands on both axles. In the first sector, characterised by fast corners and direction changes inspired by some of Europe's great circuits, the front tyres will be placed under particular stress. In the third sector, meanwhile, the numerous acceleration zones out of slow corners will tend to generate thermal degradation primarily on the rear tyres."

Surface and strategy

Pirelli noted that the asphalt is not particularly abrasive, although a section between Turns 9 and 11 was resurfaced earlier this year. Ageing across the rest of the track remains significant and contributes to high wear levels. "During last year's event, several tyres reached very high wear values," the supplier added.

Track grip is generally good, aided by the support categories — including the Porsche Carrera Cup North America, which Pirelli has supplied since the start of 2026. Track evolution, however, has not traditionally been among the most pronounced on the calendar.

"From a strategic standpoint, the presence of the C2 as the hard compound could favour long stints, offering teams a solid option for what is likely to be a one-stop race," Pirelli wrote. "However, the high temperatures that typically characterise the Texan weekend must also be taken into account, as they could increase degradation and open the door to alternative strategies."

The 2026 United States Grand Prix is set for October 23-25 at the Hermann Tilke-designed Circuit of The Americas, which first hosted Formula 1 in 2012 and stages a 56-lap race.