Pirelli 2026 tyre tests: Day 1 report from Monza with Verstappen on track
Yesterday, several Formula 1 teams and drivers were active on track at Monza for Pirelli’s 2026 tyre testing program. The first day of testing focused on finalising the slick tyre compounds for the next season, and Pirelli released a detailed report summarising the sessions.
Red Bull leads the programme
Four teams took part in the first day of tests at Monza, including Red Bull, Aston Martin, Williams, and Racing Bulls. Max Verstappen returned to the track where he had just won the Italian Grand Prix, sharing the day with his Red Bull teammate Yuki Tsunoda, Aston Martin’s third driver Felipe Drugovich, and the main drivers of Williams and Racing Bulls, Carlos Sainz and Isack Hadjar.
Initially, the schedule planned for only Red Bull in action, with Verstappen in the morning and Tsunoda in the afternoon, alongside Aston Martin with Drugovich. Williams and Racing Bulls were set to run the following day. However, heavy rain was forecast for Wednesday morning, prompting teams to adjust their plans.
Adapted schedules and cars for testing
After the morning session, Williams and Racing Bulls brought forward part of their testing program, allowing Sainz and Hadjar to run in the afternoon. To fit the prototype tyres, Aston Martin and Williams adapted their current cars, the AMR25 and FW47, while Red Bull used a mule car based on the 2023 RB19, and Racing Bulls ran the 2024 VCARB01 chassis.
Focus on slick tyre compounds
The two-day program is dedicated to finalising the 2026 slick compounds, which were homologated on 1 September as per regulations. This Monza test represents the seventh Pirelli session this year for developing the new tyre range, which maintains the 18-inch diameter but will be slightly narrower, with 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear.
Driver performance and lap times
Max Verstappen completed his programme in the morning with a total of 59 laps, handing over to Tsunoda, who completed 63 laps in the afternoon. The fastest laps for Red Bull were 1’24’’117 on lap 25 for Verstappen and 1’23’’826 on lap 30 for Tsunoda. Felipe Drugovich ran 118 laps across the day for Aston Martin, posting a best time of 1’23’’792 on lap 37.
Carlos Sainz completed 49 laps for Williams, recording his best time of 1’22’’388 on lap 30. Isack Hadjar completed 65 laps, setting his fastest lap at 1’23’’951 on lap 41. Pirelli clarified that the lap times are not directly comparable, as each driver followed specific programmes for tyre evaluation.
Tyre compounds tested and conditions
All teams tested the softest compounds in the range. Racing Bulls and Williams ran the C4, C5, and C6 compounds, while Red Bull and Aston Martin also tested the C3. The sessions included initial performance runs to assess the pure speed of each compound and longer runs to evaluate tyre degradation. Ambient temperatures ranged from 22°C to 27°C, with track temperatures between 24°C and 40°C.
Plans for day 2 and weather considerations
Tomorrow’s programme will inevitably depend on the weather. If rain affects only the morning, slick tyre testing will resume in the afternoon for Racing Bulls and Williams. If precipitation continues into the afternoon but diminishes by evening, Pirelli may use the opportunity to test Cinturato Full Wet and Intermediate tyres, gathering useful data on crossover performance between different compounds.
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