The 2025 championship has not but begun, however ideas are already on 2026, with Pirelli exams persevering with and Mario Isola sharing intriguing insights. Right this moment and tomorrow, a number of groups will likely be at Montmeló for the primary exams of 2025, utilizing tailored automobiles which can be nonetheless removed from the 2026 ideas. We mentioned this with Mario Isola, who shared unique particulars with F1inGenerale concerning the ongoing exams and challenges.
In 2025, there’ll nonetheless be a number of check days. How is the event of the brand new tires progressing?
“Now we have a check program that totally makes use of what the rules permit, which is 40 check days. Particularly, these are 40 Automobile Days, as regulated, that means every day with one automobile counts as one. Now we have tried to schedule a sequence of periods on completely different tracks, each dry and moist, involving all groups. It is because each workforce will create mule automobiles, making certain rotation amongst all groups. This enables us to think about each prime groups and midfield groups to seek out the most effective compromise.”
“Nevertheless, nothing has been finalized but. The primary periods occurred within the second half of 2024. The actual downside is that we’re testing with automobiles which have utterly completely different traits. Moreover, groups are nonetheless in a studying section with the brand new ideas. In observe, groups are serving to us with setup and gas load changes to get nearer to the brand new single-seaters. Nevertheless, simulating them is unimaginable—the aero bundle is fully completely different, as are the scale, energy unit, and aerodynamics.”
“Regardless of this, we are able to get nearer—maybe by avoiding exams with 100 kg of gas and utilizing 70 kg as a substitute, to simulate the burden of the brand new single-seaters underneath race circumstances. Moreover, we’re aerodynamically restricted, as the present DRS solely acts on the rear wing, whereas subsequent 12 months it is going to even be on the entrance wing. We’re testing with Monza-style wings at Montmeló or on circuits requiring greater downforce. It’s not simple, and in the intervening time, nothing has been finalized—not the slick building, nor the design of the intermediate or moist tires. Every thing remains to be a piece in progress, however the first purpose is clearly to lock within the building, which is step one, after which we’ll work on the compound vary.”
Digital Simulation Essential for the 2026 Pirellis
When requested concerning the rising significance of digital fashions in fashionable F1, Mario Isola added the next:
“Correlation work is essential, and simply in current days, we distributed the most recent digital mannequin of the 2026 tires to the groups. It’s an ongoing course of, however the mule automobiles differ from one another, because the FIA solely offered common tips for his or her growth. The FIA was involved that groups may use these exams to simulate features of the 2026 rules, however we want a automobile that’s as consultant as doable.”
Supply: f1ingenerale