Pirelli has announced its final tyre range for the 2026 Formula 1 season. The most notable change is the removal of the C6, the ultra-soft compound introduced this year. The C6, which was only sporadically used on street circuits in 2025, is being discontinued due to its insufficient performance difference from the C5. Several drivers, including Max Verstappen, expressed their dissatisfaction with the tyre this year.
For 2026, the Italian manufacturer is working with entirely new specifications in line with the new technical guidelines for the chassis. The front tyres will be 25 millimeters narrower, and the rear tyres 30 millimeters narrower. With the final physical tests in Mexico City completed, Pirelli is approaching the homologation deadline of December 15. Therefore, the Italians presented their new tyre range on Monday: without the C6. The use of the C1 to C5 is expected to provide more variation in wear and lap times; this year, the different compounds were too similar on some circuits.
Pirelli last made the ultra-soft tyre available in Azerbaijan. Max Verstappen – and many other drivers – stated that they could do little or nothing with the C6. “Maybe Pirelli should just leave that tyre at home,” the Dutchman responded at the time. “That tyre doesn’t work here, nor did it earlier this season in Monaco. And I don’t think it worked in Imola and Montreal either.”
No Significant Difference
Recent tests for 2026 revealed that the difference between the two softest tyres was so small that the C6 became redundant within the new range. Pirelli aims to ‘enable a variety of choices’ that align with the characteristics of the different circuits. “The decision to drop the sixth and softest compound, the C6, was made precisely because it was impossible to meet this requirement,” the tyre supplier explained. “The most recent tests showed that the difference between the prototypes of the C5 and C6 was minimal, without providing a significant performance advantage.”
Teams will be able to test the new tyres for the first time during the post-season test in Abu Dhabi on December 9. Only the C1 is missing, as it is too rigid for the Yas Marina Circuit. The ten teams will use modified cars that simulate the downforce of the 2026 chassis.
