What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2026 Australian Grand Prix?

A new era begins in Formula 1 this weekend as the Australian Grand Prix kicks off the 2026 season – and tyre suppliers Pirelli have confirmed the compounds that the teams and drivers will have available to them.

Amid the introduction of new technical regulations, the tyres have undergone some changes; while the wheel rim is still 18 inches, the tyres are narrower due to a reduced contact patch and overall diameter.

However, one thing that has not changed is that Pirelli have selected the three softest compounds in their range – bringing the C3 as the hard, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft – as they did for last year’s event at the Albert Park Circuit.

Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as access to the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required.

An extra set of softs is reserved for those who reach Q3 in Qualifying, while all drivers must use at least two different slick compounds during the race, providing the track is dry.

Given that this will be the first race weekend following the rules reset, Pirelli are keen to see how the teams choose to approach the event, with the manufacturer’s weekend preview reading: “An indication will certainly come from analysing how many performance runs and long runs are scheduled as early as Friday.

“The initial track sessions will likely also serve to study how best to balance temperatures across the two axles. The energy delivered by the power unit to the rear axle will inevitably accentuate an asymmetry that may need to be corrected, particularly in Qualifying, either by differentiating tyre blanket temperatures or by completing a preparation lap before the flying lap.

“When attempting to predict the number of pit stops that will shape race strategies, at least a couple of variables must be considered. The first concerns the loads generated by the individual cars, which could prove decisive in determining whether or not to use the softest compound during a race stint, theoretically an option on a relatively low-severity circuit such as Melbourne.

“The second relates to overtaking opportunities. As we know, the cars are smaller than their predecessors, but despite modifications introduced in recent years, Albert Park remains a circuit where identifying the right section to attempt a move is not straightforward. The new Overtake mode could help in this respect.

“Another variable factor over the Australian weekend could be the weather. The race takes place at the start of autumn (one week earlier than last year), a period characterised by frequent temperature swings and rainfall. Intermittent showers significantly affected the 2025 race, won by Lando Norris on intermediates.”

For more information about Pirelli’s F1 tyres, visit pirelli.com.