Pirelli reveals fastest strategies for 2026 Australian GP: Soft vs Medium start

Ferrari garage, tire, mechanics, engineers, 2025 F1

Pirelli has released its recommended strategies for the 2026 Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. While the tactics for the first race of the season appear fairly straightforward, teams must remain alert to the possible deployment of the Safety Car, which could completely shake up the race order.

During the opening weekend of the 2026 season, all eyes were on the new cars, whose characteristics have been drastically altered by the updated technical regulations. Tire management, a hot topic in recent years, has so far taken a backseat, but it could quickly become a crucial factor during the race. Here’s a detailed look at the strategies Pirelli suggests for the Australian GP.

Mercedes dominates qualifying, Ferrari struggles

The first somewhat controversial qualifying sessions of 2026 highlighted Mercedes’ dominance, with George Russell securing pole position ahead of his teammate, Kimi Antonelli. Russell’s #63 Silver Arrow outpaced the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar by a remarkable eight-tenths, with the French-Algerian driver qualifying third. This result underlines the tremendous work done by the Milton Keynes team in their first race using their in-house power unit developed with Ford’s support.

The superiority demonstrated by the Mercedes drivers, led by Toto Wolff, makes them very difficult to challenge in the race. The team is aiming for a one-two finish, a feat they have not achieved in the season opener since 2019, when Valtteri Bottas won in Melbourne ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari, on the other hand, encountered software issues starting from Q2, forcing Charles Leclerc to settle for P4 and Lewis Hamilton for P7. Despite this, the two SF-26 cars benefit from an excellent launch system, giving them the potential to recover several positions immediately at the start.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also faced technical issues, crashing into the barrier in Q1 and now starting from the back of the grid. Fans can expect a spectacular climb through the field from the Dutch phenomenon. Special mention goes to Audi, which, in its first-ever F1 qualifying, secured a spot in Q3 with Gabriel Bortoleto.

One-stop strategy favored, but Safety Car could change everything

At Melbourne, discussions throughout the weekend largely focused on energy deployment, with little attention given to tires—despite their importance in past seasons. Historically, cars that managed graining best often had the advantage on the Albert Park street circuit.

This weekend, however, all three Pirelli compounds showed low wear, meaning any could be used during the race. According to Pirelli’s new Motorsport Director, Dario Marrafuschi, the fastest strategy under normal conditions is a single pit stop. Teams can start on Medium tires (yellow stripe) and switch to Hard tires (white stripe) between laps 20 and 26. Teams looking for a more aggressive approach could start on Soft tires (red stripe) and move to Hards between laps 15 and 21.

These strategies apply under normal racing conditions. Several factors could necessitate a two-stop strategy. First, the probability of a Safety Car is around 75% in Melbourne. Considering this is the first race under the new regulations and that the cars are still developing reliability, this likelihood could be even higher.

Additionally, the race is expected to run under clear skies with temperatures around 26°C—higher than on Saturday—which may further encourage teams to adopt a two-stop approach. A pit stop costs only 21 seconds, making the two-stop option feasible.