P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Pirelli has tested a new wet tyre it hopes will be able to solve a longstanding issue in F1, with a new compound which sees a “crossover” between its existing rain rubber and intermediates.
Pirelli has developed a new Wet tyre with a compound that combines features of rain rubber and Intermediates in an effort to address long-standing issues in Formula 1.
Teams have been reluctant to use Pirelli’s wet-weather compounds due to their inability to maintain temperature in moderate rainfall, causing overheating.
Testing of the new wet tyre at Fiorano with Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Zhou Guanyu has shown promising results, according to Pirelli’s Motorsport Manager Mario Isola.
The goal is to create a “crossover” between Wet and Intermediate tyres to make the extreme Wet tyre more usable in racing conditions, not just behind the safety car.
Pirelli aims to refine the wet tyre’s lap time window to around 115-116% of a dry lap, compared to the current 118%.
The pressure is on Pirelli to deliver improved wet tyres, especially after negative feedback on their Dry tyres for 2026 from drivers like George Russell.
