Pirelli revealed this Tuesday the tire choices that will be made available to the teams during the next three rounds of the world championship including the new Madrid Grand Prix.
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For the Dutch and Spanish Grands Prix, the Italian manufacturer has selected the medium range, composed of C2, C3, and C4.
However, the Italian Grand Prix, held in Monza, will use the three softest compounds of the range, namely C3, C4, and C5.
Zandvoort keeps the same selection as in 2025
For the Dutch event, Pirelli has chosen to renew the same allocation as last year.
The Zandvoort circuit, characterized by a succession of slow and medium-speed corners, including two famous banked curves, imposes significant constraints on the tires. Vertical and lateral loads are high, while the cars require a substantial level of aerodynamic downforce.
The surface also offers relatively low grip, a phenomenon accentuated by sand from nearby beaches, regularly deposited on the track by the wind.
Monza: goal of a one-stop strategy
In Monza, whose surface was completely redone two years ago, teams will run low downforce configurations to maximize their top speed.
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The time lost during a pit stop is among the highest of the season, which will naturally encourage teams to favor a one-stop strategy, provided they can manage tire degradation.
However, Pirelli points out that high temperatures could complicate this approach and force some teams to change their strategy.
Madrid will debut with medium tires
The Spanish Grand Prix will be held this year for the first time on the new semi-urban Madrid circuit, called Madring. The tire choice was made based on numerous simulations carried out by Pirelli using data available on this new layout, which includes 22 corners, significant elevation changes, as well as the longest banked corner on the calendar called “la Monumental” (photo above).
According to the Italian manufacturer’s analysis, the stresses on the tires will be comparable to those observed on demanding circuits like Silverstone or Spa-Francorchamps.
Pirelli has therefore selected compounds C2, C3, and C4, aiming to favor a two-stop strategy while limiting the risk of tire overheating in case of high temperatures. The manufacturer believes that the softest compound in the range would have been much more sensitive to this phenomenon on the new Madrid layout.
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Pirelli’s selections since early 2026
