The Pirelli tests in Bahrain are over
Following the Bahrain winter tests, Williams and Alpine participated in the development tests for the 2026 tires. Carlos Sainz and Ryo Hirakawa opened the session with the FW45 and the A523 during the first session, while Alex Albon and Paul Aron took over on the second day.
Pirelli took advantage of the presence of the teams and especially the drivers in Bahrain to schedule test days with the aim of obtaining valuable data for the development of the 2026 tires.
2 days of testing for Pirelli
On March 2nd, Carlos Sainz was driving the Williams, while Ryo Hirakawa was at the wheel of the Alpine single-seater. The cars used were the FW45 and the A523, specially modified for the tests.
On March 3rd, Alexander Albon and Paul Aron were driving the FW45 and the A523, respectively. Atlassian Williams Racing therefore chose to have only its main drivers on the track, while Alpine preferred to leave the wheel to its reserve drivers.
Different objectives
The overall objective was on further track development of the 2026 tires which, according to the regulations, will have a reduced diameter and will be 25 millimeters narrower at the front and 30 millimeters narrower at the rear compared to the current tires, as can be read on Pirelli’s website.
Regarding March 2, the tests focused on different varied constructions, but with the same type of tires. Carlos Sainz completed 116 laps with a best time of 1:34.740, while Ryo Hirakawa completed 131 laps, his fastest lap being 1:35.336.
Extra time in Bahrain! 🇧🇭🔧🛞 After F1 testing, Pirelli continues tyre development with Alpine & Williams. Hirakawa & Sainz hit the track today—131 & 116 laps logged. Tomorrow: Aron & Albon take over! #F1 #Pirelli #BahrainTest https://t.co/fkBTNcK4gl pic.twitter.com/g6wrB7VYBE
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 2, 2025
For the day of March 3rd, the drivers collected data on different types of tires, from C1 to C3. The air temperature ranged between 19 and 24°C, with track temperature between 23 and 28°C. Alpine completed 130 laps, with Paul Aron setting his fastest lap at 1:35.407, while Williams completed 120 laps, with a best lap time of 1:35.667 for Alexander Albon.
✅ Mission accomplished in Bahrain! 2,700 km covered in Pirelli’s 2026 two-day tyre test with Alpine & Williams. Next stop: Melbourne! #F1 🛞https://t.co/CN6EDuHLfx pic.twitter.com/JI5r6i91yr
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 3, 2025
“Another very useful day for the development of the 2026 tires,” commented Mario Isola, head of motorsport at Pirelli, at the end of these two days of testing. “With nearly 2,700 kilometers covered, we were able to gather a significant amount of data to leverage in our program.”
Mario Isola wanted to express his gratitude to the drivers for their assistance, aware that this time of year is busy for them: « I sincerely want to thank the drivers and teams who extended their stay at the Bahrain circuit by three additional days, at such a busy time, with less than two weeks before the first race. In Sakhir, we continued the comparison between different types of construction and compounds, the latter being at the hardest end of the range, to match the characteristics of this circuit. Now, our colleagues in R&D will analyze this information in detail and provide valuable insights to allow us to continue improving the product for the next generation of cars. »
Next tests
The tests for the 2026 tires will continue throughout the season, and the next testing session will take place at Silverstone on May 7 and 8. This time, it will be Mercedes on the track for Pirelli, focusing on intermediate and wet tires.
