2026 Tyres Hit the Track
Pirelli 2026 Tyre Tests Begin at Hungaroring with McLaren, Racing Bulls and Alpine
The first day of Pirelli's latest tyre testing session at the Hungaroring has concluded, as preparations continue for the 2026 Formula 1 season. Three teams — McLaren, Racing Bulls, and Alpine — took part in the programme, each supplying modified cars, engineers, and drivers to assist with evaluations of prototype tyres.
McLaren and Alpine ran cars from the 2023 season, while Racing Bulls fielded a chassis built to 2024 specifications. The teams were not given details regarding the compound or construction of the tyres being tested. Instead, they were provided with unmarked sets identified only by numerical codes. Pirelli will share a consolidated report with all teams at a later stage.
The fastest lap of the day came from Alpine’s Paul Aron, who set a time of 1:18.789 and completed 159 laps — the highest mileage of the session. Lando Norris was second quickest for McLaren with a 1:19.272 and 144 laps, followed by Liam Lawson for Racing Bulls, who clocked a 1:19.510 while completing 143 laps.
Testing will continue tomorrow. Alpine will run Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly, while Ferrari is set to join the programme with Charles Leclerc behind the wheel.
