F1 Nation F1 Explains: Tyres - what's new for 2026 and how Pirelli get drivers on track
17 snips
Mar 27, 2026 Mario Isola, Pirelli's Head of Motorsport who leads F1 tyre development, explains what's new for 2026 tyres and why the changes matter. He breaks down narrower tyres, redesigned footprints and hotter operating behavior. Learn how compounds are chosen for each track, how tyre sets are allocated and the tech behind virtual tyre modelling and sustainability.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
2026 Tyres Are Smaller And Fully Redesigned
- 2026 F1 tyres are smaller and required a full redesign to suit lighter, more agile cars.
- Mario Isola explains fronts are 25mm narrower, rears 30mm narrower, changing footprint, heat generation, and grip characteristics.
Smaller Footprint Raises Overheating Risk
- Narrower and smaller-diameter tyres reduce theoretical grip but increase tyre overheating due to a smaller footprint.
- Mario warns the primary change to manage is heat generation rather than raw grip loss.
Select Compounds By Track Energy Tarmac Weather And Data
- Choose compounds for a race by assessing track energy, tarmac aggressiveness, weather, and historical database comparisons.
- Pirelli combines simulations from teams, promoter info on asphalt and its own past-data to select three compounds per weekend.