The first European races of 2026
Pirelli has today informed the teams of the tire selection for the weekends in the Principality of Monaco and Barcelona.
The Monte Carlo circuit is the track with the lowest average speed on the entire calendar. The race takes place on the city streets, on a very smooth asphalt that makes tire degradation almost negligible. Overtaking is extremely difficult due to the very narrow lanes, where driver precision is essential to avoid impacts against the protective barriers. Therefore, the softest trio of the range is confirmed compared to previous years: C3 for Hard, C4 for Medium, and C5 for Soft.
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The selection for the weekend in Catalonia will instead be one step softer than last year. In Barcelona, the C2 compounds will be used for Hard, C3 for Medium, and C4 for Soft. Unlike the previous race on the calendar, the Spanish circuit is very demanding on tires both because of its layout, with many fast corners and prolonged laps, and because of the temperatures that favor thermal degradation. With a more substantial range this year, the choice aims to encourage a higher number of pit stops during the race.
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