Pirelli will use the brand new C6 tire for the first time in Imola, the softest compound of the season – selection for Bahrain remains unchanged
Even though there has been increasing criticism of the tires being too hard in the last few Formula 1 races – especially in Suzuka – tire supplier Pirelli will stick to its current strategy for the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix.
Some drivers have recently expressed a desire for softer compounds to provide more grip and more exciting races. However, as Pirelli points out, the tire decisions for the early season races are made weeks in advance and the corresponding compounds have long since been produced and shipped.
Background: The tire manufacturer is pursuing a long-term plan in the first half of the season that is intended to map all new compounds in the revised range from 2025.
The softer options, such as the new C6, will also be used for the first time at the Italian Grand Prix in Imola. In Bahrain, however, Pirelli is still relying on a more conservative selection that had already proven itself last year.
“When we started planning the production and shipment of tires for the first races, our goal was to use all the compounds in the new range during the early part of the season, as these tracks have very different characteristics,” explains Pirelli Head of Motorsport Mario Isola.
“This should help us to collect as much useful data as possible as quickly as possible, so that we can make informed decisions for the second half of the year. For 2025, we have a wider range of options than last year.”
For Miami and Imola in 2025, the series is taking a softer approach than last year: C3 (hard), C4 (medium) and C5 (soft) are available for Miami; in Imola, the brand new C6, the softest tire in the current range, will even be making its debut.
Regarding the most recent Grand Prix in Suzuka, Isola says: “Although the race itself was not particularly exciting, all the drivers were positive about the fact that they were able to continuously improve their lap times until the end of each stint.”
“Nevertheless, we have to balance this with the common desire of all key players in our sport to create conditions for unpredictable and spectacular races. Tires and their behavior play a central role in this, and as a partner of Formula 1, we want to be proactive in this regard.”
Isola emphasizes, however, that the tire selection for Miami and Imola should not be seen as a direct reaction to Suzuka: ”Of course this decision is not a reaction to Suzuka, because the tires have long since been produced and, in the case of Miami, even shipped. It is part of our development program.”
We have summarized which compounds will be used at which Grand Prix in this article. The overview is continuously updated.
