The 2026 pre-season Bahrain F1 tests are underway, with six days of on-track activity planned. After the shakedown in Barcelona, Formula 1 teams head to Bahrain for the first real evaluation of their cars. Here is a complete guide to the Pirelli tires and the selections made by each team for the first three days of testing.
The tire compounds available
The Bahrain testing is split into two three-day sessions. The first runs from Wednesday, February 11 to Friday, February 13, while the second session is scheduled from Wednesday, February 18 to Friday, February 20.
The compounds available vary depending on the session. For the first three days, teams are restricted to slick tires only, ranging from C1 to C3. Each team has access to 28 sets of dry tires in total for these three days, plus one mandatory set of intermediates (Cinturato Intermediate).
During the second session (February 18-20), teams may use compounds from C1 to C5, covering the full range Pirelli brings for the 2026 season. In this second tranche, the maximum sets per team drop to 24, and no wet tires are provided. Teams can carry over sets from the previous session if they have been used for fewer than 10 laps.
Identification of tires for the first Bahrain test session
- Pirelli P Zero C1 White: the hardest compound brought by Pirelli, recognizable by the white writing and classic sidewall bands.
- Pirelli P Zero C2 White: softer than C1, without sidewall bands and with white writing.
- Pirelli P Zero C3 Yellow: the medium compound, identified by yellow bands and writing.
- Pirelli Intermediate: green bands and writing.
- Pirelli Full Wet: blue bands and writing.
For the second session (February 18-20), additional compounds are included:
- Pirelli P Zero C4 Yellow: one of the softest test compounds, identified by yellow writing.
- Pirelli P Zero C5 Red: the softest compound, identified by red writing and sidewall brackets.
In these tests, the C1, C3, and C5 will have sidewall brackets with a checkered flag design, while C2 and C4 will only feature the Pirelli and P Zero logo. Pirelli clarifies that this identification system is only for testing and will not be applied during the 2026 race weekends.
Team tire selections for February 11-13
As in previous years, teams freely chose their sets within the maximum allowed and available compounds for the session. From these selections, we can already get an idea of each team’s testing program. Aston Martin, Cadillac, and McLaren opted for more hard sets. McLaren selected 6 C1, 14 C2, and 8 C3 sets. Aston Martin went with 4 C1, 16 C2, and 8 C3 sets. Cadillac distributed more evenly with 10 C1, 10 C2, and 8 C3.
Other teams focused on the C3 sets. Mercedes, Ferrari, and Haas lead with 20 sets of C3. Mercedes also chose 6 C1 and 2 C2 sets, while Ferrari went differently. Haas balanced 4 C1 and 4 C2. Red Bull and AlphaTauri followed similar programs, differing by one set: Red Bull has 18 C3 and 8 C2, AlphaTauri 17 C3 and 9 C2. Williams and Alpine chose 18 C3 sets, and Audi 16 C3.
Pressures, temperatures, and camber limits
Pirelli set the following pressures for Bahrain tests:
- Slicks: 24.5 psi front, 23.5 psi rear
- Intermediates: 26.5 psi front, 25.5 psi rear
- Full wets: 22.0 psi front, 20.0 psi rear
Heating temperatures and durations are as follows:
- Slicks: 70°C for a maximum of 2 hours
- Intermediates: 60°C for a maximum of 2 hours
- Full wets: cannot be heated, same as last year
Camber limits are -3.25° front and -2.00° rear. Compared to the previous season, temperature and heating guidelines remain the same, but tire pressures have increased significantly both front and rear.
The strategic divergence in tire selection for the first Bahrain test therefore highlights the different development priorities across the 2026 grid. While McLaren and Aston Martin are focusing on high-mileage durability with the harder C1 and C2 compounds, Ferrari and Mercedes are clearly prioritizing performance window optimization by loading up on the C3 medium. These choices, combined with Pirelli’s increased pressure requirements, suggest that teams are bracing for significantly different loading profiles compared to previous cars, making the data gathered over these first three days essential for defining the baseline setup for the rest of the season.
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