Moves afoot to scrap narrower 2026 F1 tyres

Mar.3 (GMM) Rumblings in the Bahrain test paddock late last week suggested there are moves to scrap the new narrower dimensions of the Pirelli tyres for 2026.

Amid the rumours, Max Verstappen was coy when asked for his opinion about how the development tyres currently feel on the test circuits: “They’re round,” he smiled.

Mercedes’ George Russell, however, was more forthcoming.

“They’re clearly worse overall, there’s no doubt about that. Because they’re a lot narrower,” said the Briton.

Motorsport-magazin.com reports that Mercedes, in particular, would like F1 to simply scrap the idea about narrower tyres and keep the current dimensions for 2026.

However, the dimensions were actually devised in collaboration with the teams, who believed the lower drag and weight would be ideal for the radically-different 2026 cars.

When asked about the saga, Pirelli’s F1 boss Mario Isola said: “If the majority of teams want to keep the current size, then we will do it.”

He explained that Pirelli could simply use the current moulds with the 2026 compound mixes.

However, abandoning the narrower tyres now is unlikely, given that some teams are believed to be well advanced with their 2026 designs based on the initial specifications.