Pirelli is already working with Formula 1 on its 2027 tyres, with the clear objective of increasing degradation to encourage more varied strategies and reduce the number of Grands Prix in which a single pit stop is the most effective option.
The trend has been particularly visible in 2026. A one-stop strategy has worked at most events, with nine of the first 15 Grands Prix of the season predominantly characterised by races requiring only one tyre change. The Hungarian Grand Prix provided one of the opposite examples, with Lando Norris winning after making three stops. Race-by-race compound usage and stint lengths can also be explored through the F1 Tyre & Stint Analysis.
Pirelli targets greater tyre degradation for 2027 F1 tyres
One of the reasons behind the behaviour of the 2026 tyres is linked to the way they had to be developed. Pirelli designed the tyres without having access to a genuine 2026 Formula 1 car, instead relying on simulations supplied by the teams and on so-called mule cars, which were modified to reproduce some of the aerodynamic characteristics expected from the new generation of machinery.
The simulations supplied by the teams also differed significantly in the levels of downforce they predicted. For the 2027 programme, however, Pirelli has been able to conduct testing with actual 2026 cars, complete with power units and characteristics much closer to what the tyres will encounter in real running.
At the latest test in Imola, Ferrari and Racing Bulls completed a combined 400 laps while working on next year’s tyres. Ferrari ran Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi, while Racing Bulls fielded Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. Further coverage of the Maranello team’s car development and testing can be found in the Ferrari technical analysis section.
The next stage of 2027 tyre development is scheduled for Magny-Cours in mid-October. Pirelli is also expected to use the French circuit’s artificial irrigation system during the test to work on tyres intended for wet conditions.
Simone Berra explains Pirelli’s 2027 tyre development target
The primary target throughout the development programme has been to increase degradation. Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra explained: “This year we worked not with the mule car, but with this year’s real cars, so for us it was much better to have a clear picture.”
Simone Berra added that the work was less focused on the balance of the car or stability itself and more specifically on producing a greater reduction in tyre performance over a stint.
“Our objective was less related to the balance of the car, to stability itself. It was more related to generating a higher level of degradation.”
Pirelli changes tyre structure to generate more degradation
Pirelli has experimented with different solutions at both the front and rear, attempting to increase degradation through the tyre structure itself.
“We worked on the structure to generate more degradation. We tested different solutions to generate more degradation on the front tyres and other solutions to generate more degradation on the rear axle,” Simone Berra explained.
The development programme is not yet complete. Pirelli still has to finish testing the range of compounds intended for the 2027 season before defining the final specifications: “The idea was simply to increase the level of degradation because we saw that, especially in the first part of the season but also in other races, the degradation was quite low,” Simone Berra said.
Achieving that objective also involves changing how the tyres generate heat and the thermal degradation that follows: “We worked on the structure itself to generate more heat and greater thermal degradation.”
The direction for 2027 is therefore clear: Pirelli wants tyres that lose performance more noticeably over a stint, creating greater scope for different strategic approaches instead of allowing one-stop races to remain the most effective solution so frequently.
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