What Are the Tyre Options for the 2026 Hungarian GP?

Formula 1 returns to the Hungaroring, in the northeast outskirts of Budapest, for the final round of racing before the summer shutdown. In 2026, the circuit celebrates the 40th anniversary of the first Hungarian Grand Prix in the F1 World Championship.

Known as ‘Monaco without the walls’, the Hungaroring is a tight and twisty test: its rapid-fire sequence of corners gives car and driver no time to rest throughout the lap. Those low- and medium-speed corners ensure the tyres are getting constant thermal load, and managing temperatures is vital – especially on that front-left.

As with last year, Pirelli is providing the softest group of tyre compounds for this event. The C5 acts as the Soft, the C4 as the Medium and the C3 as the Hard 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.

Traditionally running in late July in the heart of hot Hungarian summers, the Hungaroring has only seen a handful of rain-affected races. The 2021 edition, featuring dramatic first-corner incidents and changeable conditions, ended in a surprise maiden victory for Esteban Ocon.

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.