– Actually, Pirelli had announced that they tended to want to go a bit softer in the selection of their tire compounds in the upcoming races, as all season races in Formula 1 2026 so far have been won with only one pit stop, but in May the manufacturer is instead choosing harder tires than last year – albeit involuntarily.
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Because Pirelli is forced to bring harder compounds to Canada than in 2025. This is because the softest C6 tire, which was introduced last year and was used in Imola, Monaco, Canada, and Azerbaijan, no longer exists this year.
Instead of the C4, C5, and C6 compounds, the C3, C4, and C5 compounds are now being used in Montreal – and thus at least the currently softest possible choice. This also applies to the upcoming race in Miami, where Pirelli was also unable to go softer, as the C3 to C5 compounds were already used in 2025.
The characteristics of the track around the Dolphins’ stadium allow for the use of the softest compounds in the range due to the very smooth asphalt. Tire degradation is predominantly thermal due to the high temperatures in Florida, but proved to be limited last year with nominally identical compounds.
This created the conditions for numerous duels on the track in the early stages of the race, in which the drivers were able to push without any particular restrictions.
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In Canada, too, there is much to be said for the softest compounds – on the one hand thanks to a surface that is not very rough, and on the other hand to provide sufficient grip in the zones where the cars are exposed to strong deceleration forces.
The C6 remained a marginal phenomenon in the race strategies last year, which were already designed for two stops using Hard and Medium. Compared to Miami, Montreal also brings the weather variable into play, especially given the earlier date on the calendar.
Canada is, by the way, the first – forced – change compared to the previous season. Until then, Pirelli had always brought the same compounds. (An overview of the tires selected for the season can be found here.)
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