With less than two weeks before the season opener at St. Petersburg, Racer revealed on Monday that IndyCar will require a second alternate tyre stint for street courses. The rule change was tested last season during the Sonsio Grand Prix at Indianapolis.
A street course strategy shakeup
In extending this change into 2026, IndyCar will not keep that race’s mandate of two stints on primary tyres. At that time, IndyCar president Doug Boles said that “IndyCar is continually looking into ways to improve an already extraordinary on-track product.“
The existing IndyCar tyre rules remain in place on road courses and short ovals. This requires only a single stint on the alternate tyre. That stint can be as little as two laps, and teams took advantage of that minimum window rule in 2025. At Long Beach nearly the entire field—21 of 27 cars—spent less than 10 laps on alternates before switching. At St. Petersburg this was 15 of 24, and at Toronto 13 of 26 cars made their early switch.
IndyCar alternate tyre change “will challenge teams and drivers even more”
While cars must use an extra alternate tyre set, this will not be joined by a change in tyre allotment. Teams still have five sets of each tyre per race weekend. IndyCar teams will have to further conserve alternate tyre usage during practice and qualifying.
With one-third of the season being run under these rules, the importance of managing these tyres is magnified further. The 2036 season includes brand new tracks at Arlington and Washington, so teams will have no data do these circuits to work from. Boles expressed confidence that everyone involved will be up to the task.
“Firestone is a terrific partner, and their higher degradation alternate tire has given strategists plenty to think about on road and street circuits this year. We expect this update will challenge teams and drivers even more.”
