Pirelli anticipates an increase in two-stop races as the 2026 season unfolds.

      "Drivers currently have around ten percent less grip at their disposal."

      Pirelli anticipates a wider variety of race strategies in 2026 as Formula 1 teams continue to enhance their vehicles. After the initial races were largely influenced by one-stop strategies, the motorsport director for the sole tire supplier, Mario Isola, indicates that this could soon shift. "At some point, we’ll see a greater diversity in strategies once again," he shared with Auto Motor und Sport. Pirelli had to design its existing tires based on projected data from teams, which made the development particularly challenging under the new regulations. "We requested data from all the teams. We aimed to understand where the upper limit of the new cars is," Isola clarified. Nevertheless, early-season information indicates the supplier may have been overly cautious, as most drivers easily completed races with a single stop. "The development process wasn’t straightforward. We only had the mule cars," Isola mentioned, referring to modified older models used for testing. "The actual cars feature active aerodynamics. Now it’s not the straights but other parts of the track that constrain performance." He also pointed out that current grip levels are lower than anticipated. "Drivers have about ten percent less grip available," Isola disclosed, attributing this to decreased downforce and narrower tires. However, as performance is projected to improve rapidly with teams' upgrades, tire stress is expected to rise. "Eventually, engineers will discover more efficient methods to charge the batteries, allowing drivers to push harder through the corners again," Isola stated. This development could reinstate strategic elements in racing. "The aim is to reduce the gap between one-stop and two-stop strategies," he added.