Tyre Testing Done in Hungary
Pirelli Concludes Two-Day Tyre Test in Hungary Ahead of 2026 Formula 1 Season
Pirelli has completed a two-day tyre testing session in Hungary as part of its ongoing development programme for the 2026 Formula 1 season.
The test took place on Wednesday at the Hungaroring, with participation from two teams — Ferrari and Alpine. During the morning session, Charles Leclerc and Franco Colapinto conducted short runs, evaluating the C3, C4, and C5 compounds. The afternoon was reserved for long-run simulations, which also included the harder C2 compound.
Leclerc completed an impressive 144 laps, setting the fastest time of the day at 1:19.407. Colapinto, meanwhile, managed 25 laps before a crash prematurely ended his session. His best lap was recorded at 1:20.270.
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Head of Motorsport, shared his thoughts on the test: “These two days were highly productive, and we made meaningful progress in developing our tyres for the 2026 season.
Hungaroring is a technically demanding circuit, particularly in terms of tyre performance. The large number of low-speed corners generates significant energy through the tyres, even over relatively short laps. This makes it a challenging environment for testing, especially given the critical role the full range of compounds — from C1 to C6 — will play in the upcoming tyre line-up.
Although we lost some running time due to Colapinto’s crash — which, fortunately, was not related to the tyres — we were still able to gather a wealth of valuable data. Regarding tyre construction, we have now completed the evaluation of the final specifications, which are scheduled for homologation on September 1.
We have three more test sessions planned — at Monza, Mugello, and Mexico City — which will conclude the development phase. The final homologation of the 2026 compounds is set for December 15.”
