Pirelli unveils F1 2026: experimental cars on track during the test sessions
At the end of the Formula 1 season, the Abu Dhabi circuit hosts the Pirelli tyre tests dedicated to developing compounds for next year. This programme carries particular weight, as 2026 will mark a major shift in the technical regulations. The current tyres, designed for ground-effect cars, will give way to a completely overhauled product. Tuesday’s running represents a crucial milestone for defining the baseline from which all teams will move forward.
Pirelli’s F1 2026 tests: some notable absences
To gather useful data, the teams take to the track with mule cars—current-generation chassis modified to match the 2026 specifications. These are experimental machines that do not provide definitive answers, but they offer engineers valuable references for understanding the behaviour and degradation of the new compounds. Uncertainties are expected, since the tyres have been developed throughout the year using these same mule-car platforms.
Despite this, the test day remains a key moment in the transition towards the new regulations. On track, we see a varied field. Ferrari assigns the work to its two race drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, while Red Bull chooses its new arrival, Isack Hadjar. Mercedes brings Andrea Kimi Antonelli from its young driver programme, and Aston Martin relies on its reserve, Stoffel Vandoorne.
Each team has chosen to run its own independent programme to collect as much data as possible. In parallel, each of the teams listed in the table below also fields a second car in 2025 specification, dedicated to the rookies.
The goal is to provide meaningful mileage to those waiting for an opportunity. For Ferrari, Dino Beganovic—already part of the FDA academy—takes the wheel. The rookie activities do not influence the development of the 2026 tyres, but they represent an important continuity exercise for junior programmes. The day therefore unfolds on two distinct but complementary fronts.
F1 2026: Pirelli presents the tyres for the next regulatory cycle
Alongside the track activities, Pirelli officially presented the new 2026 tyre range, redesigned both in structure and visual identity. The sidewall graphics have been completely updated: the traditional brackets disappear and make room for a pattern inspired by the chequered flag, a clear motorsport symbol. The goal is to make the F1-dedicated products instantly recognizable.
This visual separation distinguishes them from road tyres and other competition ranges, underlining the uniqueness of the work carried out for the premier category. The colour codes that identify the compound hardness remain unchanged: white for Hard, yellow for Medium, and red for Soft. Green and blue will continue to mark the Intermediate and Full Wet tyres.
The dry-weather P Zero range will remain composed of five compounds, from C1 to C5, but they now feature more distinct and consistent differences between each option. This approach is intended to make race strategies more readable and to further diversify tyre behaviour across a Grand Prix, while maintaining overall performance levels similar to the current ones. The most significant changes concern dimensions and structural design, both reworked to fit the cars built to the 2026 ruleset.
The wheels stay at 18 inches, but the tread width is reduced by 25 mm at the front and 30 mm at the rear. Total diameter also decreases: 15 mm less at the front and 10 mm at the rear. The tread pattern for the wet-weather tyres remains unchanged, indicating that the current platform is already considered reliable. The mule cars on track are already evaluating these new proportions. The 2026 range will be homologated on 15 December.
The first run with the definitive 2026 cars will take place during the closed-door tests in Barcelona from 26 to 30 January. The new tyres will also be present at the 2026 car launches, expected between late winter and early spring. For Pirelli and for the teams, the Abu Dhabi test day therefore represents the true starting point for a Formula 1 era with profoundly renewed characteristics.
Leave a Reply