Pirelli picks harder Monaco compounds

Pirelli has set Monaco on a harder tyre path for 2026, even though the street circuit remains the lowest-wear stop on the Formula 1 calendar. In a May 19 bulletin to teams, the Italian supplier said Monaco will use C3 as the hard, C4 as the medium and C5 as the soft, while Barcelona will run a different set one week later. The shift matters because Monaco used the C6 range last year, but the 2026 season no longer includes that extra-soft compound. The result is a Monaco selection that is still the softest available this year, but harder than the one teams had in 2025. ### Which tyres is Pirelli actually bringing to Monaco? Pirelli said Monaco will get C3, C4 and C5 for the May race weekend in Monte Carlo. In the company’s wording, that remains “the softest trio in the range” for 2026, with C3 designated hard, C4 medium and C5 soft. The 2026 range stops at C5 because Pirelli dropped the C6 after one season. (press.pirelli.com) Formula 1’s official site said in November 2025 that Pirelli would choose race compounds from C1 through C5 in 2026, with no C6 tyre option, after analysis of test data and FIA approval. ### Why does Monaco count as “harder” if it still has the softest trio? The comparison is against Monaco’s own recent baseline, not against the rest of the 2026 calendar. In 2025, Monaco was one of the events that used C4, C5 and C6. In 2026, the same weekend moves to C3, C4 and C5 because the C6 has been removed from the catalogue. (formula1.com) Motorsport.com’s Spanish edition and other specialist outlets described that as a harder direction for Monaco. The practical point is simple: every named compound at Monaco has moved one step up the hardness ladder from last year’s race. ### Why didn’t Pirelli keep the softer option for Monte Carlo? (formula1.com) Pirelli and Formula 1 said the 2026 compound range was redesigned around the sport’s new regulations and narrower tyres. Formula 1’s official site reported that Pirelli judged there was not enough performance gap between C5 and C6 to justify keeping the extra-soft tyre in the 2026 lineup. (scuderiafans.com) Monaco’s track profile also shaped the choice. Pirelli said Monte Carlo has the lowest average speed of the season, runs on very smooth asphalt and produces “virtually no tyre degradation,” with overtaking constrained by the narrow layout. ### Why is Barcelona going the other way? Barcelona will use C2, C3 and C4, and Pirelli said that is one step softer than last year for the Spanish weekend. (formula1.com) The company said the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is demanding on tyres because of its fast, long-radius corners and temperatures that promote thermal degradation. (press.pirelli.com) AutoHebdo reported that Formula 1 and Pirelli are trying to encourage more strategy variation across Monaco and Barcelona by using different compound philosophies at two circuits with opposite characteristics. Pirelli said its aim in Spain is “to encourage a greater number of pit stops during the race.” (press.pirelli.com) ### What does this change for teams in practice? Teams now know the dry-weather sets they will build their Monaco and Barcelona weekends around. At Monaco, engineers will work with C3-C5 rather than the C4-C6 spread used there a year earlier, which changes the operating window for qualifying and the race even if degradation remains low. (autohebdof1.com) Pirelli published the Monaco and Barcelona nominations on May 19, and those selections will govern team tyre allocations for the two race weekends. Monaco is scheduled before Barcelona on the 2026 calendar, with the Spanish round following one week later. (press.pirelli.com)