Berra: In qualifying, drivers can choose Medium.

      Making its debut this season, the softest C6 compound was rarely used during the season, but on Friday in Baku it proved the most in demand — drivers ran on it for more than 77% of the distance covered, which in turn allowed a stock of Medium tyres to be created, providing freedom of tyre choice for tomorrow's qualifying.

      Simone Berra, Pirelli's chief engineer: "Friday was not quite typical; apparently we're in for an unusual weekend in terms of tyre usage.

      We brought the softest compounds to Baku, including the C6, which had previously been used only in Imola, Monaco and Montreal. As expected, the C6 provided a slightly higher level of grip than the C5, but across a narrower operating window. As before, comments from some drivers indicate that the C5 offers greater stability on the twisty sections of the track and may become the preferred choice for qualifying. It is therefore no coincidence that the majority of the distance on Friday was covered on C6 tyres. It will be interesting to see which approach the teams and drivers ultimately choose for tomorrow's qualifying after Saturday's practice sessions.

      In addition, it is worth noting that the condition of the track has clearly improved compared with previous years, which reflects the hard work of the organisers in recent days, when the asphalt surface was treated with high-pressure water jets. This, along with the lower temperature, explains the better lap times compared with 2024 and the track evolution over the course of the sessions. Furthermore, we can report a complete absence of graining on all three compounds."