What tyres will the teams and drivers have for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

The F1 paddock heads to Baku this weekend for Round 15 on the calendar, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix – and tyre suppliers Pirelli have confirmed the compounds that will be in use throughout the weekend.

For this year’s event, the three softest compounds in the range have been selected – that being the C3 as the hard, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft. This marks a step down from those used in 2025, where the selection was one step softer and included the C6 (though this was not chosen during the race).

Drivers will get two sets of the hard tyre (marked white), three sets of the medium tyre (marked yellow), and eight sets of the soft tyre (marked red), as well as access to the green intermediate tyre and the blue full wets, should they be required.

An extra set of softs is reserved for those who reach Q3 in Qualifying, while all drivers must use at least two different slick compounds during the race, providing the track is dry.

“Some of the city streets that make up the circuit have been resurfaced,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “The work has affected sections of Turns 2, 3 and 4. The new asphalt, limited to specific areas, should not influence tyre behaviour which, as is often the case on street circuits, will initially be affected by rather low grip levels.

“Track evolution over the course of the weekend is instead expected to be significant, thanks to the progressive build-up of rubber on the surface.

“The asphalt, which is relatively smooth and not very abrasive, should result in very low levels of wear and degradation, making a one-stop race the most likely scenario. The C5 could prove capable of delivering particularly long stints, as seen recently at Monza, a circuit that shares some characteristics with Baku. By contrast, the hard compound could be overlooked by many teams in the race.

“Some graining may occur, particularly during the opening sessions when grip levels are still low, but it is not expected to be a decisive factor in terms of performance.

“One of the most interesting tyre-related aspects will be temperature management. The very long full-throttle section linking the final corner to the first promotes tyre cooling, aided by developments in wheel rim design. This phenomenon could increase the risk of lock-ups under heavy braking, particularly on the front axle.

“Ambient temperatures could also help keep tyre overheating under control. Despite the generally warm climate, the buildings lining the circuit create numerous shaded areas, limiting any rise in track temperature.”

For more information about Pirelli’s F1 tyres, visit pirelli.com.