All articles tagged with #tyre degradation
Friday practice at the 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix, held at Sepang in Malaysia, was dominated by extreme tyre wear and unpredictable weather. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the long-run simulations, while Mercedes struggled with a new upgrade package. The race is a substitute for the cancelled Bahrain event, featuring unique logistical and branding adjustments.
Friday practice at the rescheduled Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia highlighted severe tyre wear and unpredictable weather. Max Verstappen led FP1, while Charles Leclerc topped FP2, but Red Bull and McLaren showed strong race pace. Mercedes struggled with setup despite upgrades, and teams face a choice between two- or three-stop strategies due to high degradation on the abrasive track.
Mercedes led Friday practice at Madring amid high track temperatures and front-left tyre wear, with Russell and Antonelli trading fastest times and degradation implying possible multi-stop strategies for the Spanish GP; Verstappen battled power-steering issues, Norris suffered gearbox trouble, and teams will use FP2 data to refine setups ahead of FP3 and qualifying.
Mercedes led Friday practice in Spielberg with Kimi Antonelli fastest and delivering the strongest long-run pace, while Ferrari’s upgraded power unit failed to close the gap. Leclerc and Ferrari were notably slower in both single-lap and long-run simulations, McLaren showed some pace but struggled with tyre degradation, and Red Bull’s upgrade did not yield a breakthrough. With hot conditions increasing tyre wear, a two- to three-stop race looks likely.
Hot Austrian conditions made Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring lively, with Antonelli fastest in FP1 and FP2 as teams assessed pace and tyre wear. Mercedes and McLaren showed competitive race pace, while Red Bull and Ferrari worked through balance issues and corner dynamics. Updates—Red Bull’s suspension/floor and Audi’s rear-end changes—signal an improving but still tight midfield battle ahead of qualifying, withCadillac reliability hiccups and Turn 3 grip challenges shaping early impressions.
Max Verstappen gave up the lead at the Brazilian GP due to strategic tyre management, opting for a final pitstop to switch to soft tyres, which allowed him to recover to the podium but likely cost him a chance at victory, as tyre degradation was too high to sustain longer on older mediums.