– Pirelli announced this week which tire compounds will be offered at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix. On the traditional circuit, the C3, C4, and C5 variants will be used, making them the three softest compounds in the current Pirelli range.
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Nevertheless, these are harder tires than in 2025 in the Principality. The background is Pirelli’s decision not to offer the C6 tire, which was the softest compound last year, at all in 2026.
Basically, Pirelli is again using the three softest compounds in Monte Carlo this season. However, while in 2025 these were the options C4, C5, and C6, this year they are C3, C4, and C5.
Pirelli explains: “The Monte Carlo race track has the lowest average speed of the entire race calendar. The race winds through the city streets on a very smooth asphalt surface, which means the tires practically show no wear.”
Therefore, most drivers will very likely opt for a one-stop strategy at the Monaco race in June. The rule from last year requiring two mandatory pit stops has been removed again for 2026.
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Pirelli has also adjusted the tire compounds for the Formula 1 race in Barcelona in 2026. At the Grand Prix, which this season will be held for the first time as the Barcelona-Catalonia Grand Prix, the variants C2, C3, and C4 will be used.
This means they are one step harder here than in 2025, when the three hardest compounds (C1, C2, and C3) were offered. Unlike in Monaco, this is a deliberate decision.
Pirelli states: “The Spanish race track places high demands on the tires, both due to its layout with many fast corners with large radii and because of the temperatures that promote thermal wear.”
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“Since the tire range is more balanced this year, the tire choice aims to encourage a higher number of pit stops during the race,” the Italians explain.
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