P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Pirelli has announced the tyres that will be used across the opening five races of the 2025 F1 season, which includes a one-step softer allocation in Saudi Arabia.
The tyre compounds for the 2025 season-opening Australian Grand Prix will be the same as in 2024, with the C3, C4, and C5 chosen. In China, the next race will feature a harder range, with the C2 designated as the Hard tyre option due to the abrasive asphalt at the Shanghai circuit. Japan and Bahrain, circuits with high degradation, will see the drivers using Pirelli’s hardest tyres, with the C1 available for the first time. A different assortment of compounds will be used in Saudi Arabia to enhance the racing spectacle, with the C5 replacing the C4 as the Soft option.
In 2024, most drivers used a one-stop strategy at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, even without Red Bull’s dominance. Pirelli’s Motorsport Director Mario Isola explained that the tyre choices were made based on feedback and data from the previous year, aiming to offer teams a wider range of strategic options. The new C6 compound is expected to debut at the Monaco Grand Prix in May, not in the initial races of the season. George Russell expressed concerns about the performance of Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyres, noting they might be a significant downgrade.
