Pirelli wins battle and category maintains 18-inch wheels in 2026

April 3, 2024 11:26

Pirelli emerged victorious in a dispute to maintain 18-inch wheels in Formula 1 from 2026, when the category’s new rules come into force.

Initially, there was the intention of reducing the size of the wheels to contribute to the objective of making the cars lighter, as they are currently quite heavy.

However, German magazine Auto Motor und Sport reported that Pirelli, the category’s exclusive tire supplier, had successfully argued against the switch to 16-inch wheels.

Despite maintaining the size, there will be changes to the width of the tires, according to correspondent Michael Schmidt. Pirelli argued that larger wheels help prevent tires from overheating. As a compromise, the front wheels for 2026 will have a reduction in width, aiming to reduce aerodynamic drag to meet the high energy efficiency requirements of the new engines.

Another important factor is that maintaining 18-inch tires brings the advantage of greater similarity with the tires used on passenger cars, making it easier for teams to adapt to the new generation of cars and reducing costs. According to Schmidt, Pirelli wants to start testing with the 2026 tires as early as September this year.

At the same time, F1 is considering the adoption of an IndyCar-style ‘overtake button’ in the ‘push to pass’ style for 2026. This button would increase the maximum speed at strategic moments, such as DRS zones. This should increase the chances of overtaking during races.

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