Pirelli’s two-day test at Monza focusing on developing the 2026 compounds ended with a half-day of track action today. Carlos Sainz in the Williams and Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls lapped in the afternoon, trying a version of the Cinturato Intermediate tyres before switching back to the softer dry tyres from the range.
The wet track, caused by the rain which fell on the circuit throughout the morning, gave the chance to test in real-life conditions a solution for the Intermediate tyres that had already been tested at Fiorano – when the track was artificially dampened thanks to the irrigation system at the Italian circuit. Today’s work, other than evaluating the best options for the C4, C5 and C6 compounds, will thus also allow for a deeper analysis of the crossover phase between intermediates and slicks.
Carlos Sainz completed 57 laps, with a best time of 1’22’’108 on lap 24. Isack Hadjar stopped the clock at 1’23’’825 on lap 30 of 56. The ambient temperatures were within the range of 20°C and 25°C, while the tarmac went from 27°C to 32°C.
Adding in the laps completed yesterday, which were all on slick tyres courtesy of the same two drivers plus Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda for Red Bull and Felipe Drugovich for Aston Martin, in these two days of testing at Monza Pirelli has amassed an overall total of 467 laps for a total of 2,705 kilometres.
Today’s testing was limited to the afternoon since, given the unfavourable weather forecast, the two teams involved had accepted bringing forward half a day of dry running to yesterday.
As a result Pirelli has nonetheless managed to collect the necessary data to proceed with the development of the slick compounds to be used next season, which will have to be homologated by December 15.
Williams took to the track with a mule car derived from the current FW47 while the Racing Bulls used a modified version of its VCARB01 from 2024. The modifications to the car were necessary to be able to fit the prototype tyres, which are slightly narrower compared to this year’s tyres, while keeping the same diameter.
The slick tyre testing will return at the end of September to the Mugello circuit and then for two more days after the race weekend in Mexico City. In Italy the harder tyres from the range will be finalised while in Mexico the softer tyres will again be put to the test.
These dates are the last two on Pirelli’s development calendar for 2025 and they will be followed by the usual end-of-season testing scheduled for December in Abu Dhabi.
