Pirelli has selected its hardest group of tyre compounds for the 2026 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with the C1 serving as the Hard, the C2 as the Medium and the C3 as the Soft for Round 9 of the season. The selection reflects the demanding nature of the circuit’s high-speed corners, which place extreme stress on tyre performance.
The move reverts from a softer compound selection used at Silverstone in 2025, according to Mercedes-AMG F1. The circuit’s sector two, featuring the fearsome Copse corner as well as the Maggotts, Becketts and Chapel sequence, is especially punishing on front tyres and factored heavily into Pirelli’s decision to opt for the harder range.
Drivers will receive six sets of the Soft compound, four sets of the Medium and two sets of the Hard for the weekend. That allocation is one fewer set than a standard race weekend, owing to the return of the Sprint format to Silverstone for the first time since the circuit hosted the very first Sprint in Formula 1 history in 2021.
Silverstone, a former RAF airfield, is widely regarded as the spiritual home of Formula 1. The venue hosted the first-ever World Championship Grand Prix and has been the permanent home of the British Grand Prix every year since 1987. It is one of three circuits to have hosted the British race over the championship’s history.
The combination of the hardest available compounds and the Sprint format will present teams with a distinct strategic challenge. With fewer tyre sets at their disposal, teams must carefully manage their allocations across practice, Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint race, Qualifying and the Grand Prix itself.
The British Grand Prix weekend marks a significant scheduling milestone as one of the marquee events on the 2026 calendar, with the added intrigue of the Sprint format amplifying the competitive stakes at one of the sport’s most iconic venues.