Pirelli: The toughest trains and two pit stops minimum

      The Barcelona-Catalunya circuit is as different from the Monaco city circuit as day and night, and if the World Championship teams had the softest tires of the Pirelli line at their disposal last weekend, they will have to work with the toughest compounds at the Spanish Grand Prix.

      This choice is due to the fact that in the fast turns of the Barcelona track, both machinery and tires work with very high loads, which is why Pirelli has brought C1 (Hard), C2 (Medium) and C3 tires to the Catalan track as Soft.

      Formally, the formulations are the same as a year ago, but in fact all three have been slightly changed, primarily C2 – this is done so that the difference in efficiency between them is approximately equal. According to the tire specialists, this year the most suitable tires for Sunday's race will be Medium and Soft.

      At the same time, as always, the front left wheel will take on the maximum load, since most of the turns of the circle (eight out of 14) are right. Pirelli also reports that on June 3 and 4, i.e. immediately after the Spanish stage of the season, tire tests will be conducted in Barcelona to prepare for 2026.

      Next week, on Tuesday, a team of Pirelli specialists will work with the Mercedes team, on Wednesday – with Red Bull Racing.

      A typical tactic at the Spanish Grand Prix has long been considered to be a two-stop circuit. Since the features of the Catalan ring and the level of loads on it are well known to both tire manufacturers and teams, we can safely predict that this is exactly the tactic that most of the participants in the race will adhere to this time.