Ahead of the private shakedown test in Barcelona next week to test their new cars, Pirelli has confirmed the tyre choices selected by the Formula 1 teams.
With pre-season testing just days away, the teams are preparing for a busy week shaking down their new 2026 challengers.
From understanding active aerodynamics to all the various testing modes, the test will be far from a relaxing jaunt.
Cadillac will make its F1 debut alongside its rivals, while one team has opted to miss the test entirely due to car-readiness issues.
All teams received a complement of wets and intermediates, and examining the tyre choices gives some idea of what to expect from the various testing programmes.
McLaren
While McLaren will miss the first day of the test, opting for more development time, its focus is on medium tyre running, having limited the amount of softs and hards available.
4 x C1 Hard
10 x C2 Medium
6 x C3 Soft
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets
Mercedes
Mercedes has been bold in their choices, opting to take 12 sets of soft tyres, indicating a focus on shorter stints during the test, while also allowing for some longer distance running with eight sets of hards.
8 x C1 (Hards)
0 x C2 (Mediums)
12 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets
Red Bull
If Mercedes was bold with its choice, Red Bull has gone extreme, choosing no hard tyres at all and 18 sets of soft compound C3S. Short, fast stints on the circuit look to be the plan, and Pirelli will likely keep an eye on this programme.
0 x C1 Hard
4 x C2 Medium
18 x C3 Soft
4 x Intermediates
2 x Wets
Ferrari
Choosing a more down-the-middle route than its immediate rivals, Ferrari has chosen 12 sets of C2 mediums to complement smaller sets of soft and hards.
4 x C1 Hard
12 x C2 Medium
3 x C3 Soft
4 x Intermediates
2 x Wets
Williams
Williams will miss the Barcelona test as the new FW48 is not yet track-ready, but had it attended, the team would have joined Red Bull by going down a soft tyre-heavy route.
0 x C1 Hard
4 x C2 Medium
17 x C3 Soft
3 x Intermediates
1 x Wets
Aston Martin
Aston Martin’s has taken a conservative approach, focusing more medium tyre running while allowing for limited longer runs on the C1 tyres.
3 x C1 Hard
10 x C2 (Medium
7 x C3 Soft
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets
Haas
With no hard tyres selected by the American team, Haas too has opted for more multiple shorter runs by going for 13 sets of C3s.
0 x C1 Hard
4 x C2 Medium
13 x C3 Soft
6 x Intermediates
2 x Wets
Audi
Audi’s choice for the first test is to focus on soft tyre running, while also allowing for limited longer stint runs with two sets of hard tyres from Pirelli
2 x C1 Hard
6 x C2 Medium
10 x C3 Soft
4 x Intermediates
3 x Wets
Alpine
Alpine looks set to complete a programme of short and medium-length stints, opting for nine sets of mediums and softs as it prepares for the first extended run as a Mercedes customer.
2 x C1 Hard
9 x C2 Medium
9 x C3 Softs
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets
Cadillac
In its first full F1 test, Cadillac has understandably gone conservative, its only likely goal being to gather valuable on track data for the first time, rather than relying on simulations.
4 x C1 Hard
6 x C2 Medium
10 x C3 Soft
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets
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