2026 F1 Cars: Pirelli's Frustration with Data

(GMM) Formula 1’s sole tire supplier, Pirelli, is growing frustrated as teams reportedly provide wildly inconsistent performance data for their 2026 car simulations.

According to Auto Motor und Sport, the Italian manufacturer needs accurate figures to finalize next year’s new-generation tire compounds, but the numbers being supplied vary so much that engineers suspect some teams may be deliberately “bluffing” to protect technical secrets.

Editor’s Note: The teams likely are not bluffing their data. The rule changes are so radical the cars have been deemed ‘Frankenstein Cars,’ unlike anything F1 has ever done. But why? To appease the treehuggers by mandating that the cars will get half their power from electric.

Teams are required to share estimated downforce, acceleration, and top-speed data based on their simulator work, yet Pirelli insiders say the range of submissions is far wider than expected. “If the figures were to be believed, this would indicate significant pace differences between the cars,” the report noted.

Mercedes engineering chief Andrew Shovlin said such discrepancies are common before a major regulation change. “This is almost always the case when new regulations are introduced,” he explained.

“Some teams develop better than others. Those who feel particularly strong may want to downplay their expected performance somewhat.”

However, Pirelli has cautioned teams not to take the game too far. Underestimating downforce values could result in tires that fail under the real loads, while overly conservative designs could make the compounds too heavy or slow.

Shovlin added that not all the variation is necessarily strategic.

“Some teams indicate where they think they’ll be at the end,” he said. “Others indicate where they’re at today,” he said.

“The way the rules are written, I don’t think there will be much difference when we all go out on the track together for the first time.”