Pirelli set to introduce softer compounds in 2025

Pirelli is assessing whether a compound that is even softer than the current softest of its five-compound range, the C5 tyre could add to the excitement of races in the future.

Although only eight races took place in 2024, Formula One's sole tyre manufacturer is already assessing how it could improve its tyres for next season. Pirelli has already held three in-season test runs with Barcelona, Suzuka and Paul Ricard having hosted a two-day test programme with different teams.

“We collected quite a lot of good information — we finalized more or less the construction of the 2025 slick tyres,” Pirelli Motorsport boss Mario Isola told RACER.

The Italian has confirmed that one of the main targets has been to improve overheating which is regularly being criticized by drivers. Moreover, Pirelli is also assessing whether a sixth compound which would be even softer than the current softest C5 rubber would improve the excitement on street tracks where degradation is usually very low.

“The request was to reduce the overheating, 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.”

Pirelli has already performed on-track test outings with the brand-new C6 compound, having tried out the potentially softest rubber of the 2025 tyre range with Ferrari at Paul Ricard. Speaking of the aim with the possible introduction of the new compound, Isola disclosed that the aim is to bring variety into the race strategies.

“The risk is that if you reduce the overheating they change less, because obviously they can run more laps without high degradation. If we go in this direction then we need to have softer compounds in the range to select the compounds properly for each event.

“Obviously the target we have to encourage a mix between one and two-stop strategies. So we made a proposal to go a bit softer. So our proposal was not having any constraints on the number of we homologate.

“We said, ‘Let’s think about a C6, softer than C5, that can open up different strategies’ and we tested one in Paul Ricard a couple of days ago. It’s the first attempt but the idea is to go in this direction and probably homologate six compounds next year.”