Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has changed the selection of compounds that teams will receive for the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
As reported by İdman.Biz, citing the official Formula 1 website, drivers in Baku will have the three softest compounds from the 2026 range available: the C3 will be designated as the Hard, the C4 as the Medium and the C5 as the Soft.
The main difference compared with last year's Azerbaijan Grand Prix is the absence of the even softer C6 compound. In 2025, the C4 was designated as the Hard tyre in Baku, the C5 as the Medium and the C6 as the Soft.
The decision to bring the C6 to Baku last year was deliberate. The asphalt on the Baku City Circuit is relatively smooth and causes little tyre wear, so Pirelli hoped that softer compounds would give teams more strategic options and increase the possibility of two-stop strategies instead of the one-stop approach traditionally favoured at the circuit.
However, the experiment did not work as intended. No driver used the C6 during the 2025 race. All drivers completed the Grand Prix with a single pit stop, preferring the more durable C4 and C5 compounds. Eleven drivers started on the C5, while the other nine opted for the C4.
The C6 is no longer part of Formula 1's dry tyre range this season, which consists of five compounds from the hardest C1 to the softest C5. As a result, the C3, C4 and C5 will be used in Baku — the same combination of compound designations that was selected for the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The basic characteristics of the Baku circuit remain unchanged. Tyre degradation is expected to be low, meaning a one-stop strategy is again considered the most likely option. Pirelli believes the C5 could be capable of completing relatively long stints during the race.
Several sections of the circuit around Turns 2, 3 and 4 have been resurfaced this year. However, Pirelli does not expect the localised resurfacing work to have a significant impact on tyre behaviour.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend will run to a revised schedule this year. Free practice will take place on Thursday, qualifying on Friday and the Grand Prix on Saturday.
