Whereas the primary months of 2026 have been dominated by discussions about energy items and power administration, a distinct subject has taken centre stage in Barcelona: tyres. Provider Pirelli says it’s not essentially searching for that sort of consideration, though given the situations it’s unavoidable.
The Barcelona Grand Prix is the most popular F1 weekend of the 2026 season to this point, with monitor temperatures exceeding 50 levels Celsius on each Friday and Saturday. Add to that the truth that Pirelli has not introduced the toughest compounds in its vary, however as a substitute a step softer (C2, C3 and C4), and it turns into clear that tyre degradation ranges are extraordinarily excessive.
That already meant the smooth and even the medium compound have been, in Pirelli’s phrases, “one-lap tyres” throughout qualifying. For the race, nonetheless, managing the extreme degradation will develop into a vital issue.
“We’ve got seen excessive degree of degradation figures, as much as two or three tenths, which is kind of an enormous quantity,” Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra defined. “That is primarily because of the monitor traits, roughness of the asphalt, power of the format, and in addition the excessive monitor temperatures.”
Though the warmth is logically the primary issue, the asphalt on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya can also be among the many roughest on the complete calendar. “The extent of macro roughness is excessive in comparison with different circuits. It’s the second within the rating of macro roughness of the season, after Bahrain. And clearly, this can be a issue.”
It presents a very totally different problem to Montreal and Monaco, the place groups struggled merely to get the tyres into the right working window after which hold them there.
“It is not likely frequent to have these sort of values. For this circuit, we’ve seen this degree of degradation in some circumstances, however that was with the previous product, the previous automobile. So, for this 12 months’s automobile, it is the primary time, additionally for this type of product,” Berra stated, referring to Pirelli’s 2026 tyres.
“I do know that the groups will attempt to discover a approach to, to illustrate, hold the temperatures underneath management. That is one thing that they are going to strive. Not a straightforward one, however for positive the raise and coast and energy administration can even assist them with the tyre administration.”
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“Kill understeer” or shield the rears? Key variations between groups
In that regard, there are notable variations between automobiles and driving types. Some are higher at bringing tyres into the working window in situations similar to Montreal, whereas others excel at preserving them alive in sizzling situations – an space the place McLaren has historically been sturdy lately. In response to Andrea Stella, nonetheless, that’s now not the case.
Pirelli explains that there are two extra elements that might play a significant function and are maybe much less seen to the bare eye: differing set-up selections and rim designs.
Relating to the previous, Pirelli sees appreciable variation in Barcelona. Some groups have taken extra aggressive steps to scale back understeer for qualifying. That has helped one-lap tempo, however might create rear tyre points throughout the race.
“It is the selection of the steadiness, and in addition depends upon how the groups determined to strategy qualifying after which the race with the identical set-up”, Pirelli’s head of motorsport Dario Marrafuschi stated.
“This monitor is demanding for the entrance axle by way of sliding, so it’s a sort of put on and degradation, fixed degradation of the entrance axle and overheating of the rear. It depends upon how the groups selected to strategy qualifying with the set-up, relying in the event that they determined to kill the understeer throughout qualifying to have an excellent beginning place. However on this case they are going to undergo within the sizzling situations throughout the race due to the rear steadiness.
“Or in the event that they protected the rear axle right this moment in imaginative and prescient of a extra constant race. I believe that is going to be a priceless and thrilling variable to see within the fights on monitor.”
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Totally different rim designs an even bigger think about Barcelona
The second issue is, as talked about, rim design. Till 2025, groups used a standardised provider rim, however from this season onward groups have been allowed to develop their very own open-source designs. In response to Pirelli, there are main variations between the varied approaches on the grid.
“It is fairly a major variation. And likewise the groups are bringing new rim specs throughout the season as a result of they know that they will in some way work round with rims and attempt to influence tyre efficiency”, Berra defined.
“What we have seen this 12 months is that usually stabilised situations are a lot decrease than previously. It is because the edges are principally cooling the entire wheel and the tyre itself. That is producing fairly an enormous distinction, not solely on the rim geometry, but additionally in stabilising fairly excessive with the temperatures and pressures.
“Another groups are stabilising very low. There are fully totally different approaches. And I believe particularly right here it will have a big effect. The groups which have labored to chill down the tyres and the rim loads can have way more profit than different groups.”
In response to Pirelli, some groups’ designs are higher suited to situations similar to Montreal, the place decrease temperatures made it tough to get the tyres into the precise window. Different designs focus extra on preserving tyres as cool as attainable in extraordinarily sizzling situations, and that might present a major benefit within the warmth of Barcelona.
One would possibly assume groups might merely swap between totally different rim designs relying on the monitor and situations, however Pirelli says it’s not that easy.
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“No, they can not swap for only one weekend as a result of for us it is tough to handle totally different rim specs”, Berra replied. “They’ll begin the season with one rim specification and sooner or later in the event that they determine to vary, they will swap to a different rim. In any other case it is not attainable.
“However for positive they will develop one thing affecting the tyre behaviour. Normally I do know that the FIA is working to keep away from that the groups are utilizing the rim to essentially calm down the tyre as a result of that is not the aim of the rim itself. So there are some implications within the rules and all the pieces ought to be accredited earlier than introducing a brand new rim specification.”
In actuality, groups should notify each Pirelli and the FIA earlier than introducing a brand new rim design. The drawings should be submitted, after which Pirelli should additionally take a look at the design earlier than approval is granted. The method takes a number of weeks, which means a brand new design can’t be launched in a single day.
There isn’t a restrict on the variety of rim designs a workforce can introduce throughout a season, however as a result of such developments fall underneath the finances cap, monetary actuality successfully determines the restrict.
Two-stop or three-stop technique for the Barcelona GP?
Regardless, tyre administration is ready to be an enormous problem for each workforce on the grid. Drivers stated after qualifying that they anticipate “a minimum of two pitstops”, and Pirelli agrees.
“We anticipate a minimum of a two-stop technique – a minimum of two stops. In principle, we anticipate that the very best technique is medium-hard-hard, additionally as a result of groups have saved the arduous tyres and we predict they most likely needed to have these tyres as an choice for the race”, Marrafuschi stated.
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“The frequent sense allow us to suppose that the 2 stops with medium-hard-hard could possibly be an choice with a primary cease between 15 and 21 and the second between 38 and 44.”
One attention-grabbing element is that Pirelli’s most popular technique requires two recent units of arduous tyres. Max Verstappen, nonetheless, now not has that choice after changing into the one driver to run the arduous compound on Friday.
Requested which of the remaining alternate options can be finest, Marrafuschi continued: “The second choice we foresee could possibly be medium-hard-soft. On this case, the second cease can be in direction of the final a part of the race between lap 45 and 51, with the primary cease between 19 and 25. There’s one other chance, and this actually needs to be evaluated throughout the race additionally based on the site visitors or any attainable race administration by way of security automobiles, the three-stop technique.”
For somebody like Verstappen, that choice might on paper even be faster than a two-stop technique, however Pirelli additionally issued a warning.
“It’s a bit bit quicker, however it’s important to take site visitors into consideration”, Berra added to Marrafuschi’s clarification.
“And that’s not a matter simply of overtaking. You may most likely overtake ultimately, as a result of when you’ve got a delta tyre efficiency, you’ll be able to overtake. However the level is that you simply threat to overheat the tyres extra, to attempt to push and overtake the automobile in entrance. So, you threat to finish up with increased degradation ranges, so it is not very efficient ultimately.”
No matter which methods finally emerge, the Barcelona GP guarantees to be the primary race of this season – and subsequently of this new period – through which tyre administration really turns into the decisive issue.
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