Pirelli Reveals Tyre Choices for Barcelona F1 Test
Teams are gearing up for the crucial Barcelona test, the first of three sessions where they’ll get to grips with this year’s radical car changes. With active aerodynamics, new power units, and 100% sustainable fuels in the mix, engineers have their work cut out for them.
The Montmeló circuit will host three of the five available test days, though some teams are planning to skip day one. The looming threat of rain could also throw a wrench in everyone’s carefully planned testing programs.
Pirelli has announced they’re bringing the C1, C2, and C3 compounds to Barcelona – that’s the hard, medium, and soft range. Wet weather tyres will also be available if the skies open up.
Red Bull is taking a surprisingly aggressive approach to their tyre allocation.
They’ve selected a whopping 18 sets of the soft C3 tyres and completely skipped the medium C2s. That’s a bold strategy.
Ferrari has gone in the complete opposite direction, bringing just three sets of softs while loading up with 12 sets of the medium compound.
These stark differences show just how varied teams’ testing priorities are. Williams is also heavily favoring soft tyres, while McLaren and Aston Martin have chosen a more balanced mix between mediums and softs.
The wet weather preparation strategies also differ wildly across the grid.
Most teams have picked four sets of intermediates as their baseline, but Racing Bulls and Haas are clearly preparing for the worst with five and six sets respectively. Williams, meanwhile, is gambling on drier conditions with just three sets.
For full wet tyres, Red Bull and Ferrari have doubled up with two sets each. Audi seems especially worried about heavy rain, bringing three sets, while most teams are making do with just one set.
Mercedes Confirms Day One Testing Plans
Mercedes has finally confirmed they’ll be hitting the track from the very first day of testing in Barcelona.
After keeping quiet about their plans, the Brackley team revealed that George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli will kick off their 2026 campaign on day one. With conditions expected to be good enough for meaningful running, the team decided not to waste any precious track time.
They’ll join Red Bull Racing, Racing Bulls and Alpine for the opening day, while McLaren and Ferrari have chosen to delay their first on-track appearances.
