Formula 1 teams have rejected Pirelli’s proposal to reduce the minimum tyre pressures used during the 2026 season, despite repeated criticism from drivers over the behaviour of the current tyres. The rejected regulatory change would have allowed Pirelli to lower the prescribed values, potentially as early as the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
As a result, the current tyre pressure requirements are set to remain in place at least until the end of the championship, according to The Race. The issue has become one of the notable technical consequences of Formula 1’s new active aerodynamics, with safety considerations ultimately taking priority over the performance concerns raised by drivers.
Why F1 tyre pressures increased under the 2026 regulations
With the introduction of active aerodynamics, Formula 1 increased minimum tyre pressures because of concerns about the extreme loads the tyres could experience in certain circumstances. The 2026 cars switch between different aerodynamic configurations, including Straight Mode for reduced drag and Corner Mode for greater downforce. Ferrari explored these new systems extensively during early running with the SF-26, including its active aerodynamics configurations during pre-season testing.
The tyre pressures prescribed in 2026 have consequently been significantly higher at several circuits compared with the previous season. At Barcelona, for example, minimum pressures were 26 psi at the front and 22 psi at the rear in 2025, compared with 26 psi at the front and 25 psi at the rear this year.
The same trend was seen at Silverstone, where the figures increased from 26.5 psi at the front and 23.5 psi at the rear in 2025 to 28 psi and 26 psi respectively in 2026. At the Hungaroring, the comparison given is 22 psi at the front and 20 psi at the rear in 2025, against 24 psi and 26 psi respectively this season.
Higher tyre pressures had already emerged as an important technical theme during the build-up to the season. During Bahrain testing, for example, Pirelli’s tyre prescriptions for the 2026 cars were among the parameters teams had to understand while establishing their new technical baselines.
The safety reason behind Pirelli’s higher minimum pressures
The reasoning behind the higher pressures is closely connected to the possibility of a malfunction involving Formula 1’s movable wings. During the development of the 2026 regulations, consideration was given to what could happen if a car suffered a failure that left its active aerodynamics permanently in Corner Mode.
In that scenario, the car would continue running in its high-downforce configuration even along the straights, where speeds are much higher. The tyres would therefore be subjected to considerably greater vertical loads than under normal circumstances.
Without higher minimum pressures, that combination of maximum downforce and very high straight-line speed could increase the risk of tyre failure. The elevated pressures therefore function as a safety measure designed around the worst-case scenario of an active aero malfunction rather than merely around the loads generated during normal operation.
Why F1 drivers want lower Pirelli tyre pressures
Drivers, however, have repeatedly expressed concerns about the consequences of running the tyres at these higher pressures. Increasing pressure reduces the tyre’s ability to generate grip, while also making it easier to lock a wheel under braking when entering a corner.
Another complication concerns tyre preparation. Higher pressures can make the tyres more difficult to bring into their optimum working condition, which becomes particularly important during qualifying when drivers are trying to extract maximum performance for a single flying lap and challenge for pole position.
The result is a compromise between two competing priorities. Pirelli needs to guarantee sufficient structural safety if an active aerodynamics problem occurs, while drivers would prefer lower pressures that provide more favourable grip and handling characteristics.
Pirelli proposed a new rule to allow lower tyre pressures
After listening to the drivers’ concerns, Pirelli attempted to find a solution that could have been introduced during the season. The proposal centred on changing the regulations governing a car that became stuck in Corner Mode.
Under the proposed rule, if a car remained locked in Corner Mode for five laps, the driver would be shown the black-and-orange flag. That flag is used when a car has a mechanical problem considered serious enough to require attention.
The affected driver would then have been required to return to the pits, where the team would attempt to repair the active aerodynamics system. By ensuring that no car could continue circulating for an extended period in the high-downforce configuration on the straights, Pirelli would no longer have needed to base tyre pressures on that same worst-case scenario.
That, in turn, would have created the safety margin necessary to reduce the minimum pressures.
Lower tyre pressures could have arrived at Zandvoort
The regulatory change could have allowed Pirelli to begin lowering tyre pressures as early as Zandvoort, the first race after Formula 1’s summer break. The Dutch Grand Prix will therefore remain an important reference point for how the current-generation tyres behave, with the latest Ferrari news and analysis from the weekend available through our 2026 Dutch Grand Prix coverage.
The proposal had the FIA’s backing, but the teams ultimately opposed it. They considered the modification unnecessary and potentially unfair because changing the tyre pressures during the championship could alter the competitive balance between cars that had already been designed, developed and optimised around the existing requirements.
That concern proved decisive. With the required support unavailable, the compromise proposed by Pirelli was rejected.
F1 tyre pressures set to remain unchanged for the rest of 2026
The consequence is that Formula 1 drivers will have to continue working with the current higher minimum pressures for the remainder of the season. Pirelli’s attempt to address their complaints without compromising safety has therefore stalled because the teams were unwilling to accept a mid-season regulatory intervention that could influence performance.
For now, the balance remains firmly on the side of protecting the tyres against the extreme loads that could theoretically arise from an active aero failure. As Formula 1 moves through the remainder of the 2026 F1 calendar, teams and drivers will continue managing the grip, warm-up and locking characteristics associated with those pressure levels.
Leave a Reply