The second and last day of Pirelli F1 tests in Silverstone, devoted to the development of the 2026 rain tires took place yesterday.
Once again, the Mercedes F1 stable provided the car and the pilot, a mule based on the W15 of 2024, with George Russell behind the wheel, after the day of Wednesday led by Kimi Antonelli.
The program of the day was focused on comparative tests between different prototypes of rain and intermediate tires, and this time again, these trials took place on the national route of 2.630 kilometers of the English circuit, artificially watered by tanker trucks. Russell completed 80 laps, including the best in 46”190, bearing the total distance traveled in two days at 481 kilometers.
-“First of all, I want to thank Mercedes and his pilots for their cooperation. Taking the track immediately after a Grand Prix across the Atlantic is a major commitment and we sincerely appreciate it,” commented Mario Isola, director of Pirelli Motorsport.
“This test was very useful, because it allowed us to acquire valuable information on our rain tires, which are added to that acquired at Paul Ricard last January with McLaren. With the intermediaries, we were able to confirm that track development corresponds to our expectations, while the results with the rain tires have not been conclusive and will have to be analyzed in the coming days in order to continue to refine the product for the next season.
The next preparation test session for 2026, focused this time on Slicks tires, is scheduled for June 3 and 4 on the Barcelona circuit, in the days following the Grand Prix of Spain. Mercedes will be present again, this time with Racing Bulls. The next rain tire test will take place on June 19 and 20, with Ferrari alone on its own Fiorano circuit, equipped with an artificial irrigation system.
