Pirelli Axes C6 Soft Tyre for 2026 F1 Season
Pirelli has confirmed the removal of its controversial C6 soft tire compound for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The decision follows data showing the C6 was too fragile and offered insufficient performance differentiation from the C5, undermining strategic diversity. The new five-compound range (C1-C5) is designed for clearer performance gaps, aiming to unlock more varied and exciting race strategies as F1 enters a new technical era.
Formula 1 will soon bid farewell to its softest dry tire, the controversial C6 compound, as Pirelli confirms its exclusion from the 2026 range. Introduced in mid-2025 at races like Imola, Monaco, Montreal, and Baku, the purple-walled C6 aimed to diversify strategy but often proved too fragile and offered insufficient lap-time difference from the C5.
Why it matters:
Pirelli's decision to drop the C6 compound is a critical step in shaping the strategic landscape of the 2026 F1 season. By ensuring clear, predictable performance gaps between tire compounds, the manufacturer aims to foster more diverse and exciting race strategies, moving away from the limited utility and similar performance that plagued the C6.
The Details:
- C6's Performance Issues: The C6 compound was often too fragile for sustained use and its lap-time performance was too close to the C5, failing to provide a distinct strategic advantage.
- New Five-Compound Line-up: Following extensive development and post-Mexican GP testing, Pirelli has finalized its 2026 dry tire range, comprising five compounds from C1 (hardest) to C5 (softest).
- Focus on Performance Gaps: Pirelli redesigned the entire 2026 tire range with the primary goal of creating clear and consistent performance deltas between each compound, ensuring a wider range of viable strategy options.
- “Particular attention has been paid to performance differences between the compounds in terms of laptime, so as to ensure a wide and consistent delta between them, to deliver more strategy options,” Pirelli stated.
- The C6 was excluded because it was “impossible to meet this delta requirement” due to its minimal performance difference from the C5.
- Development Process: The 2026 tires were developed using projected car performance data supplied by all ten F1 teams, with forecasts for downforce and speed at the end of the season. This approach ensures the tires remain relevant as the new cars evolve throughout the season.
What's Next:
Teams will get their first experience with the new C2–C5 range during a full-grid test day after the Abu Dhabi finale. Current race drivers will use modified 2025 'mule' cars to simulate 2026 loads, while young and reserve drivers will run existing specifications. Pirelli believes that removing the softest compound will lead to bolder and more varied race strategies, ultimately enhancing the competitive spectacle of modern Formula 1.