What Are the Tyre Options for the 2026 Austrian GP?

Formula 1 is back at the Austrian Grand Prix for Round 8 of this year’s World Championship.

The Spielberg circuit first hosted the event in 1970, and has been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar in its current guise since 2014.

Spielberg is characterised by an uphill climb in the first sector of the lap and the downhill slalom of the second and third sectors. The heavy braking zone of Turn 3 at the circuit’s summit is a particular challenge for the tyres.

Pirelli has kept the same tyre compounds as previous years, with the C5 as the Soft, the C4 the Medium and the C3 as the Hard compound tyre.

Additionally, teams have five sets of Intermediates and two sets of full Wet tyres to navigate adverse weather conditions. Drivers reaching Q3 will also receive an extra set of Softs. All drivers must use at least two different tyre compounds during a dry Grand Prix.

Changeable conditions are not uncommon in Spielberg and can often vary dramatically across the weekend. Lewis Hamilton stormed to a masterful pole at the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020, beating nearest contender Max Verstappen by more than 1.2 seconds on full Wet tyres.

What Are the 2026 F1 Tyres?

The Pirelli tyres for 2026 are 18-inch wheels. Front tyres are 705mm in height and 280mm in width (a 25mm decrease from previous years) and rear tyres are now 710mm in height and 375mm in width (a 30mm reduction from previous seasons).

In 2026, there will be five compounds of dry tyres to choose from across the season – C1, C2, C3, C4 and C5.