Pirelli completes tyre test with Sauber and Aston Martin at Silverstone

Although there is still a long way to go in the 2025 F1 season, Formula One's sole tyre manufacturer Pirelli is slowly shifting its focus to the 2026 tyres that will be fitted on the all-new F1 cars.

After last Sunday's British Grand Prix, Formula One's sole tyre supplier Pirelli did not leave Silverstone as the Milan-based manufacturer completed a two-day tyre test programme.

Aston Martin and Sauber provided the car and drivers for tests aimed at development of the 2026 tyres. The Italian tyre supplier noted that the "work focused on a comparison between various options for the three hardest compounds (C1, C2 and C3)."

"In the morning, the drivers carried out several relatively short runs to evaluate the performance of the compounds, while in the afternoon, they switched to comparisons over long distances, running the best solutions to emerge from the test."

Lance Stroll was at the wheel of a mule-car based on the Aston Martin AMR25. The Canadian completed a total of 126 laps, the quickest in a time of 1m30.195s.

The second day of testing saw Gabriel Bortoleto get behind the wheel of the Sauber C45 which was raced by the Swiss team last year. However, the car has been modified to fit the 2026 tyres. The Brazilian completed 110 laps, setting a best time of 1m33.188s.

"It’s been a really productive, positive couple of days, and a good chance to get more laps under my belt here in Silverstone, which is a track I really enjoy: I would like to thank both the team and Pirelli for this opportunity” commented Bortoleto.

“We went through our entire programme for both days, and everything went smoothly. It was also important to get an initial feel for the 2026 tyres – as well as supporting Pirelli with our input.

"I started to build confidence with them, and the improved traction compared to this year’s compounds seems to allow for a cleaner and more controlled throttle application on corner exit."