Pirelli has made a key decision on which tyre compounds Formula 1 will utilise at the Madring during the Spanish Grand Prix in September.
The addition of Madrid to the F1 calendar has been widely discussed over the past two years. The venue, Madring, is set to make its debut in September. While F1 is familiar with racing in Spain, the streets of the capital are new to the sport’s modern era.
As it is a completely new circuit, Pirelli has no prior data to help understand the tyre behaviour at Madring. With this being an unknown factor, the manufacturer has decided to utilise the C2, C3, and C4 tyre compounds. Choosing the medium range makes it a safer alternative as it gives teams more room to play with their strategy during the race.
Pirelli opt for Medium tyre range
Speaking about the decision, Pirelli said: “Our analysis of the Madring indicates that the loads acting on the tyres are comparable to those seen at circuits such as Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps,”
“The choice of the medium range is therefore intended, based on the characteristics of the track, to favour a two-stop strategy and provide greater protection against the risk of excessive overheating in the event of high temperatures, a situation to which the softest compound in the range would be more susceptible.”
As mentioned, Pirelli expects the circuit to have a comparable impact on the tyres as those of Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. Still, the 2026 British GP saw the hardest tyre compounds used, while Spa saw the medium range that will be used in Madrid. Additionally, Pirelli have confirmed that Zandvoort will employ the same range as Madrid.
With the circuit using both public streets and purpose-made areas, the race could be an exciting addition. The Madring consists of 5.416 km and 57 laps. The track has 22 corners and is expected to have significant elevation changes.
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