Isola: Red Bull took a risk by choosing three pit stops

      Pirelli is pleased with the results of a hot weekend in Barcelona…

      Mario Isola, Pirelli: "From the point of view of using tires on the course, the race turned out to be interesting. Just like a year ago, Soft tires proved to be the most competitive, perhaps even more so than in 2024. The wear was significant but manageable, although on some stretches the front left tire, which is under the most stress on this track, was worn almost to the limit.

      Some riders completed more than 20 laps on a single Soft kit, despite the large amount of fuel in the tanks at the start, others were able to complete 30 or more laps on Medium.

      Red Bull tried to change the situation by choosing a three-pit-stop strategy, which theoretically was clearly slower. They had nothing to lose with Tsunoda starting from the pit lane, but with Verstappen they risked to get on the podium. The departure of the safety car at the end of the race changed the situation for Max, who had been fighting very aggressively before, negating his chances.

      Pirelli engineers will remain at this track for two days of testing on Tuesday and Wednesday, which are very important for 2026. This time, the Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls teams will provide cars and racers.

      On Tuesday, George Russell will work with Mercedes, and Isaac Hajjar and Liam Lawson with Racing Bulls. On Wednesday, Kimi Antonelli will drive a Mercedes, and Yuki Tsunoda will work with Red Bull."