First day of testing this week for Pirelli at the Mugello circuit, working in conjunction with Haas and Scuderia Ferrari. The programme focused on defining the hardest compounds from the 2026 range. Today, the American team’s two race drivers, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman were on track, at the wheel of a mule car based on the VF-24, adapted to accommodate the 2026 tyres. The Frenchman completed 40 laps, the quickest in 1’21”943. Very changeable weather made life difficult for the engineers, with rain hitting the track in the late morning. However, this presented an opportunity to try some 2026 intermediate tyre solutions on the very probing Mugello circuit. On these tyres, Bearman completed 30 laps, with a best time of 1’34”381.
Testing continues tomorrow at Mugello when Guanyu Zhou and Charles Leclerc will be behind the wheel for Scuderia Ferrari, each driving part of the day in a mule car based on the SF-25.
