Pirelli completes 2026 rain tire testing with Charles Leclerc

La Team Ferrari was called upon on June 19 and 20 on behalf of Pirelli. The sole manufacturer of the Formula 1 has asked the Italian team to conduct two days of testing at its Fiorano track to evaluate the intermediate and wet tyres that will have to be used when track conditions require it in 2026.

These training sessions were of capital importance for Pirelli. Indeed, the first work sessions, carried out with Mercedes at Silverstone, had not at all given satisfaction to the engineers at the start of 2025, mainly on the Rain rubber.

It seems that this time Pirelli has been able to learn some positive lessons, as Mario Isola, the motorsports director for the trans firm, points out.alpine. "These two days of testing were very useful and allowed us to complete the on-track development work on next year's intermediate and rain tires. We will now carefully analyze all the data and finalize the definitive solutions."

Turn and burn 🤝@Charles_Leclerc @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/nztNMgkteR

— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) June 20, 2025

There are many constraints on this rain tire. On the one hand, it was necessary to artificially moisten the track Fiorano. “Working on rain tire development is never easy, as it is difficult to consistently replicate track conditions and temperature also plays an important role.”

The task is made more difficult by the technical regulation changes due in 2026. However, the single-seaters meeting the 1 F2026 specifications have obviously not yet been built. Pirelli must therefore make do with modified 2025 season mules in order to get even a little closer to the drag and downforce data estimated for the coming year. "These current cars obviously cannot fully replicate the expected loads and behavior of the Formula 1 cars that will be built to the new 2026 regulations," confirms Mario Isola. "We had to make the best of the situation and I think we achieved some interesting results that, next year, will allow us to provide the teams with an improved product, both in terms of performance and operating window, compared to the current tires."

Requisitioned, Charles Leclerc completed 110 laps this Friday, with a best time on stick tires of 59''210, and a best time on intermediate tires of 1'06''180. The reserve Guanyu-Zhou filed the 2,976 km track on Thursday with 159 laps completed. His best time was 59 (stick tires) and 820:1 (intermediate tires).

This was the final test session for the 2026 wet tires. Pirelli will now focus on analyzing the data and designing the compounds for next season.

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