Mercedes and McLaren have completed a Pirelli F1 tyre test across Tuesday and Wednesday at the legendary Nürburgring circuit in Germany. Both teams ran with their 2026 cars, although the Italian tyre manufacturer dictated all the run plans.
Following the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, the tyre test that was due to take place in Jeddah was moved to the Nürburgring instead.
How the Pirelli F1 tyre test went for Mercedes and McLaren at the Nürburgring
On Tuesday, the Australian was limited to 65 laps thanks to a technical issue in the afternoon. His best time was a 1:35.096. George Russell did 127 tours, with his fastest attempt on a 1:33.899. Rain had interrupted some dry running on Tuesday morning.
Lando Norris and Kimi Antonelli stepped in on Wednesday.
According to Pirelli, “in the first phase of the programme, the two drivers continued the work initiated by their respective team-mates on the different construction variants of the C3 compound, completing several runs of eight laps each.
“In the final hours of track time, the two softer compounds were also evaluated, with longer runs. Antonelli ran the C4, while the C5 was fitted to Norris’s car.”
The current championship leader logged 109 laps as he put in a 1:32.990. Meanwhile, the defending F1 World Champion did 108 laps, with his best time a 1:33.640.
Lando Norris:
“This test was a very productive two days for us.
“The aim was to help Pirelli with their tyre development for the future, and we provided as much detailed feedback as we could.
“It’s been a while since we’ve driven here at the Nürburgring, so it’s great to get back out on track. I’ve driven here in pretty much every category, so it’s cool to be able to drive it in this era of Formula 1 cars.
“After lacking some track time at the start of the season, it was good to get back behind the wheel again. Sessions like this, even if they aren’t for testing our own upgrades, provide learning opportunities which are useful as we look to push forward this season.”
Oscar Piastri:
“It was good to get back in the car during this break, with the focus on helping Pirelli gather information on these tyres.
“Overall, it was a useful day. We can’t make any changes in these tests, but it’s always good to get the opportunity to make sure all systems work and to get a better understanding of the car, especially with the new regulations.
“We obviously don’t race here, but it’s still nice to experience such a unique circuit again. The Nürburgring is an old-school track with the kerbs and run-offs, which makes it more rewarding when you get things right.
“We’ll spend a bit of time back in Woking now as we prepare to go racing again in Miami.”
