Ferrari’s qualifying tire choice in Baku: Pirelli explains the C6 vs C5 dilemma | Azerbaijan GP. Ferrari tested different tire strategies in free practice at the Azerbaijan GP.

Ferrari tested different solutions ahead of qualifying in Baku, while Pirelli provided their analysis of the compounds available for the weekend. For this event, the Italian tire supplier decided to bring the softest compounds in the range. The C6 tires were the most used overall in the first two sessions, leaving teams with a big question for Saturday. Ferrari carried out split programs between its two drivers to compare different compounds, with the final decision to be made tomorrow.

According to Pirelli’s Friday report, the soft C6 tires were the main focus. They completed 556 laps and were the only compound used in FP1. This was the first time since 2019 that the softest tire was so dominant. The reason behind this choice lies in the teams’ intention to save at least one set of mediums for Saturday.

The qualifying dilemma

During FP2, Ferrari ran different qualifying simulations with each driver on separate compounds. Lewis Hamilton initially went out on the medium tires, managing to stay very close to Charles Leclerc’s lap times on the softs. However, track conditions could change tomorrow, with cooler temperatures expected and overnight rain that may alter the grip levels once again.

Pirelli’s chief engineer Simone Berra analyzed the first day of activity: “It was a rather unusual Friday, which suggests we might see an unusual weekend, at least in terms of tire use. We brought the softest trio from our range, including the C6. This compound behaved as expected, providing slightly more grip than the C5, but within a narrower operating window.”

The general view is that the medium compound could play a bigger role tomorrow: “Feedback from some drivers to our engineers suggests the C5 probably offers more stability in the twistier parts of the track, which could make it the preferred tire for the key part of qualifying. That explains why the C6 handled most of the workload today.”

Track conditions

In FP1, several drivers experienced lock-ups on the slippery street circuit surface. As expected on a city track, grip was initially low, but the continuous running helped lay rubber on the asphalt and improve overall grip levels. As the weekend progresses, track evolution will become increasingly important.

“It’s worth noting that the track conditions have improved significantly compared to previous years, thanks to the organizers’ hard work in recent days treating the asphalt with high-pressure water jets,” added Berra. “This, along with cooler temperatures, explains why lap times are already faster than in 2024 – drivers have already matched last year’s pole position – and although performance evolution during sessions has been significant, it is not as extreme as in the past. Finally, we can report a total absence of graining across all three compounds.”