Pirelli show off new tyre design ahead of 2026 season
9th December 2025Formula 1’s sole tyre manufacturer is set to showcase a new tyre design ahead of the upcoming 2026 season, and the new regulations.
Feature image credit: Pirelli
Ahead of the post-season Abu Dhabi young driver test, Pirelli showed off its new tyres, which will be on show throughout the 2026 season with a new tyre design.
Prior to and including 2025, the Pirelli tyres were easily distinguishable by a yellow, red or white line that circled the tyres, which symbolised what tyres were the medium, soft or hard compounds, respectively.
The 2026 tyres will feature a chequered flag design, an ‘emblematic’ marking that has been the Italian tyre manufacturer’s identity for the past 14 seasons since they returned as F1’s sole tyre supplier.
Pirelli claims it will give the F1 tyres ‘a completely different look compared to any other motorsport or roadgoing product’ that is made by the manufacturer, but will keep its historic design language that is close to the company.
In 2026, the tyre colours will remain the same with white, yellow and red signifying Pirelli’s hard, medium and soft compound tyres, for their dry-running slick tyres.
They will also maintain the green and blue tyre walls for the intermediate and full wet tyres.
The 18-inch tyres will also change ahead of the new technical regulations in 2026. These new regulations will feature slightly smaller and narrower tyres, which are suitable for the latest generation of F1 cars.
Pirelli’s tyre range will remain unchanged heading into the new era of regulations, with the C1 tyre remaining as the hardest compound, going down to the C5 tyre, the softest of Pirelli’s range.
These tyres are being run as part of Abu Dhabi’s post-season test, and will be officially homologated on December 15.
Whilst the first competitive session for Pirelli’s new rubber won’t be until March, for the F1 season opener in Australia, the tyres will get their first bout of on-track action in the pre-season tests in Barcelona, in January, and Bahrain, in February.
Read more Formula 1 here:
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- FIA confirm why no punishment for title-winning Lando Norris at Abu Dhabi GP
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
