Things we learnt from Pirelli's post-race Silverstone tyre test

Following the British Grand Prix weekend, Mercedes and Williams remained at Silverstone for a two-day post-race tyre test with Pirelli, helping the Italian manufacturer continue development of its all-new 2027 Formula 1 slick tyres.

The test formed a key milestone in Pirelli's preparation for Formula 1's next generation of tyres, with engineers focusing on finalising the construction of the dry-weather compounds ahead of the FIA's 1 September homologation deadline.

Using specially adapted 2026 machinery, both teams completed an extensive programme designed to evaluate the structural characteristics of the future tyres rather than outright performance.

Mercedes fielded George Russell on Tuesday, while Carlos Sainz represented Williams. The day began with a series of screening runs designed to compare multiple tyre construction concepts before both drivers switched to longer runs in the afternoon to evaluate the most promising specifications over race-distance stints.

Conditions proved hot throughout the day, with track temperatures climbing to 46°C and ambient temperatures reaching 31°C, providing valuable data on tyre behaviour under demanding conditions.

Russell completed an impressive 113 laps, recording the quickest time of the day with a best lap of 1:30.695. Sainz, meanwhile, managed 61 laps with a fastest time of 1:33.576, although Williams' programme was cut short after a technical issue prevented the team from completing its planned schedule.

Wednesday saw Mercedes hand driving duties to Formula 1 World Championship leader Kimi Antonelli, while Alex Albon took over for Williams.

Antonelli continued the construction evaluation programme started by Russell, completing another series of comparison runs during the morning before concentrating on longer stints in the afternoon to validate the most promising tyre structures identified across the two days. The Italian completed 102 laps, setting a best time of 1:31.511.

Williams adopted a slightly different focus with Albon, who concentrated on evaluating the harder end of Pirelli's range using the C2 and C1 compounds. His programme combined shorter performance runs in the morning with extended race simulations later in the day to further assess tyre consistency and degradation characteristics. Albon completed 97 laps, with a fastest lap of 1:31.747.

Weather conditions became even more demanding than on Tuesday, with track temperatures peaking at 49°C, while air temperatures rose to 34°C.

Preparing for Formula 1's future
Although lap times during development tests offer little meaningful comparison due to differing programmes, fuel loads and tyre specifications, the mileage accumulated by both teams provided Pirelli with another significant dataset as work continues on the 2027 tyre package.

With the tyre construction now approaching its regulatory freeze, the focus is on ensuring the final specification delivers the durability, consistency and performance characteristics required for Formula 1's next era.

Pirelli's development programme will continue immediately after the Hungarian Grand Prix, when Audi, Alpine and Aston Martin are scheduled to participate in another two-day test at the Hungaroring on 28–29 July, further refining the 2027 tyres before their final specification is locked in later this summer.