Pirelli announce team tyre choices for Barcelona pre-season test

Tyre supplier Pirelli have announced how many of each tyre set teams have requested for the upcoming pre-season test in Barcelona.

The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will play host to five days of F1 testing as teams get their first real chance to see how the 2026 cars perform.

Pirelli confirm team tyre choices ahead of Barcelona test

To test a car, you need tyres and supplier Pirelli has given teams the option of three slick tyres, the intermediates and wets.

The slicks are the hardest tyres available in the Pirelli range from C1 (hards) to C3 (softs). Here’s how many of each the teams have requested

McLaren

Reigning Constructors’ champion McLaren has picked the most varied selection with a good number of each compound.

The most they have is Mediums at 10, followed by six Sogsts and four Hards. McLaren may also be anticipating rain with four sets of inters.

4 x C1 (Hards)
10 x C2 (Mediums)
6 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets

Mercedes

Mercedes has made a somewhat surprising choice of taking zero Mediums to Barcelona, meaning they have 12 Softs and eight Hards for any dry track running.

8 x C1 (Hards)
0 x C2 (Mediums)
12 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets

Red Bull

Like Mercedes, Red Bull is also missing a tyre set with zero Hards in its garage.

It also has just one Medium while picking 18 Softs, the most of any competitor.

0 x C1 (Hards)
4 x C2 (Mediums)
18 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
2 x Wets

Ferrari

Ferrari has a balanced selection with at least three sets of each dry compound. The most it has is 12 sets of Mediums.

4 x C1 (Hards)
12 x C2 (Mediums)
3 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
2 x Wets

Williams

Williams will not be at the Barcelona test after failing to get the FW48 ready in time but its picks were still listed by Pirelli.

The Grove outfit went for 17 sets of Softs while having zero Hards.

0 x C1 (Hards)
4 x C2 (Mediums)
17 x C3 (Softs)
3 x Intermediates
1 x Wets

Racing Bulls

Like sister team Red Bull, Racing Bulls has no Hards in its selection and instead has six Mediums and 12 hards.

The team may be expecting more rain than most with five Inters and two full Wets.

0 x C1 (Hards)
6 x C2 (Mediums)
12 x C3 (Softs)
5 x Intermediates
2 x Wets

Aston Martin

Aston is balanced across the board with an almost even split of Mediums and Softs.

3 x C1 (Hards)
10 x C2 (Mediums)
7 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets

Haas

Haas must have looked at the weather forecast and decided rain was on its way with six sets of Inters, the most selected by any team.

That has come at the cost of the Hards with zero in Haas’ garage.

0 x C1 (Hards)
4 x C2 (Mediums)
13 x C3 (Softs)
6 x Intermediates
2 x Wets

Audi

Newcomer Audi has at least two sets of each but has gone for seven wet-weather tyres in the shape of four Inters and three Wets.

2 x C1 (Hards)
6 x C2 (Mediums)
10 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
3 x Wets

Alpine

Alpine has an even balance of nine Mediums and nine Softs with two Hards completing its dry tyre choices.

2 x C1 (Hards)
9 x C2 (Mediums)
9 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets

Cadillac

New team Cadillac will be looking to get decent mileage in with a variety of tyres and so has picked at least four sets of every dry option.

4 x C1 (Hards)
6 x C2 (Mediums)
10 x C3 (Softs)
4 x Intermediates
1 x Wets

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