Pirelli 2026 F1 tyre testing continues with McLaren at Paul Ricard

Cold weather conditions affected the running, but the McLaren team managed to recover lost time in the afternoon as they evaluated the Pirelli rubber for next season when the new F1 rules are also set to kick in.

In the morning session, Oscar Piastri took to the track in the McLaren MCL60, but freezing temperatures—at times dropping below zero—limited running. The treacherous conditions prevented the Australian from completing the full programme as planned.

However, once conditions improved in the afternoon, McLaren resumed testing without issues, completing 120 laps. The team’s best lap time was recorded at 1m07.008s on the 3.463 km layout used for the session.

Testing continued today with Norris on duty. He focussing on wet-weather compound evaluations. Pirelli’s 2026 F1 tyres will maintain the current 18-inch rim diameter, but both front and rear tyre widths will be slightly reduced in line with new technical regulations.

After this week's spell at the Spanish Grand Prix venue, Ferrari will return to Barcelona next week, on February 4 and 5, to take part in a Pirelli 2026 tyre test alongside McLaren. The programme will be dictated by Pirelli.