In 2025, F1 will see the introduction of a new tire compound, as Pirelli plans to add an extra-soft “C6” tire to its lineup. Currently, the Italian tire manufacturer has six compounds for F1, ranging from the hardest (C0) to the softest (C5) [the C0 hasn’t been used yet]. The new C6 tire will be tested for the first time by all drivers during the Mexican GP weekend.
But while the idea of an extra-soft tire sounds exciting, it could also create challenges for teams and drivers. Managing tire performance is not a new challenge in F1 as drivers and teams often struggle to find the right balance between tire wear and speed, and the introduction of the new C6 compound could make things even more complicated.
In fact, drivers have already expressed frustration with tire performance in recent races. For example, George Russell recently voiced his concerns in Azerbaijan, complaining that even Pirelli seemed unsure about how their tires would perform under race conditions.
Pirelli’s aim and the changes coming in 2025
Pirelli is introducing the C6 compound to enhance performance on the growing number of street circuits, where soft tires can provide better grip. In addition to the extra-soft tire, Pirelli is also making changes to the tire construction and compound mix for 2025. Their goal is to improve driver safety and also to deliver more exciting races for fans.
With the expansion of the scale downwards, Pirelli aims to respond to the ever-increasing number of street circuits where softer compounds are supposed to provide better grip.
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The softer C6 tire is expected to allow drivers to push harder, especially during qualifying, potentially leading to faster lap times. However, it could also introduce a new challenge for teams who are already struggling to manage tire wear. Here’s what Pirelli’s motorsport boss Mario Isola had to say about the new C6 tire compound as reported by Racer.com.
“We have very promising compounds to reduce overheating for 2025. The idea is to also introduce a new C6 compound, a softer one, because in the calendar we have more and more street circuits and we need softer compounds.”
What extra challenges could the new C6 tire pose?
With the option of an extra-soft rubber during a race, teams will need to carefully figure out how long the extra-soft tires can last before their performance drops off, leaving teams to make tough strategic decisions.
Choosing when to pit will become a critical decision — pitting too early could lead to drivers losing track position and getting stuck in traffic while pitting too late could lead to suffering from loss of performance. While this is true for all other compounds, the extra soft tire will be very short on tire life relative to the other five compounds.
This could lead to varied strategies across the grid, making races more unpredictable. Some teams might opt for a faster, high-risk strategy, using the C6 tire early on, while others might play it safe, choosing more durable compounds for a longer first stint. This could lead to exciting shifts in positions throughout the race, providing drivers with more overtaking opportunities.
Drivers like Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz, and Lewis Hamilton, who are known for managing their tires well may have an edge when it comes to adapting to this new compound. This could highlight the difference between different driving styles between the drivers even more than in previous seasons.
To make full use of the potential of the C6 tire, teams will likely need to make adjustments to how they approach setting up the car during the early sessions of a weekend. Aerodynamics and suspension tuning could play a major role in determining how well the teams adapt to the performance of the new softer rubber.
Teams that focus on optimizing these areas could have a significant advantage, especially on street circuits where the extra grip from the C6 tire will be most useful.
With higher grip levels, drivers may feel more confident to push harder at the start of a race, but this could also lead to more mistakes. The risk of incidents is likely to increase as drivers could try to make the most out of the added grip on the softer tire, especially in the early stages of a race.
In the past, Pirelli has offered tire options like the purple-marked ultra soft tires or the red-marked super soft tires, so it will be interesting to see how the teams will use their experience to adapt to the new C6 compound in the coming years.
During the tests in Abu Dhabi after the last race of the year, the drivers will finally be able to strap on the finished product for the first time.
6/13 #AMuS
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Teams will most likely get their hands on the finalized product during the post-season testing sessions which will be conducted after the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
