George Russell’s criticism of the 2026 tire prototypes did not go down well with Pirelli, especially since, according to Mario Isola, it was the teams themselves who wanted it that way.
Pirelli wants to talk to George Russell after he criticized the tires for the 2026 season. The Italian tire manufacturer also announced that the teams recently had the opportunity to vote on whether they would rather stick with the 2025 tire dimensions.
While the focus during the winter tests in Bahrain was on the 2025 season, the teams are already working intensively on the regulations for 2026 in the background. Since January 1, the development of new vehicles has been officially allowed, and some teams have already completed test drives for Pirelli – including with so-called “mule cars”.
Russell is one of the drivers who has already gained initial experience with the tires planned for 2026. These are to be narrower across the board than the current models, and the change from the current 18-inch to 16-inch rim diameter, which had been considered in the meantime, failed because Pirelli spoke out in favor of retaining the 18-inch wheels and proposed a reduction in the size of the tires as a compromise in order to reduce weight and air resistance.
“That was a real challenge compared to the wider tires we currently have,” explained Russell after his first tests. ‘With the new tires, it was a significant step backwards. That’s only natural, because they’re simply narrower.’
How Pirelli responded to Russell’s criticism
A statement that did not go down well with Pirelli. “I have already spoken to George and would like to talk to him again. The key point is that we are comparing a mature tire – the 2025 version – with a tire that is still in development.”
“We have not finalized the construction or the compound, and in 2026 we will be working with completely new vehicles, not the current ‘mule cars’. There are still many unknown factors.”
“The new tire will be smaller, and that inevitably means it will be more susceptible to overheating and have different characteristics. That’s why we are working hard on new compounds and optimized construction to provide the drivers with the best possible product.”
Teams did not use veto opportunity
Pirelli also reveals that the tire manufacturer gave the teams a choice: either continue developing the narrower tires for 2026 or stick with the current size: “One option was to stick with the current size. We spoke to all the teams and said, ‘You have to make a decision, but we need a final answer. Either we stay with the 2025 sizes or we continue developing the 2026 tires.’ The teams decided on the latter.”
According to Isola, this decision was only made about ten days ago. This means that the tires criticized by Russell are exactly those that the teams themselves have decided on – even though they are still in the development process.
“We are open to suggestions and take everything into account, but there has to be majority support,” says Isola. ‘The teams’ decision was unanimous, for several reasons. Firstly, they have already started developing the new cars, but above all, they did not consider the new tires to be bad. They understand that this is not yet the final product and they have been able to identify some positive aspects.”
Therefore, the Italian does not see Russell’s criticism as fully in line with the feedback from the teams: “A majority of the teams were in favor. That’s why it’s important that we are also on the same page as the drivers and that we are all working in the same direction.”
“Our goal is to develop a tire with less overheating and properties that meet the defined targets, but the size must remain as the teams have decided. I fully understand the drivers’ point of view and am happy to take on board their comments and criticism, but we need to work together in the same direction.”
