Every F1 team sent ‘incorrect data’ warning by Pirelli that could drastically impact 2026 tyres

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Pirelli have fired a warning to all Formula 1 teams regarding the credibility of the data they have collected at various tyre tests ahead of the upcoming season.

One of the changes that F1’s new 2026 regulations will bring is the slightly reduced dimensions of the front and rear tyres, which have been amended to reduce drag and help promote the efficiency of the cars.

The 18-inch wheel size will remain the same, but the front tyres will see a reduction in width of 25mm, with the rear tyres also being 30mm narrower.

That means Pirelli have had to hit the drawing board for a brand new spec of tyres for the upcoming season, and a recent report by Auto Motor und Sport has revealed the frustrations that the Italian supplier have experienced with the testing data collected by F1 teams.

READ MORE: How Lando Norris’ Pirelli 2026 tyre test lap times compared to his Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying

F1 teams may suffer due to ‘incorrect data’ they have been sending to Pirelli regarding 2026 tyres

F1 teams will do anything to get an advantage over their rivals on track, as well as hide any necessary advancements they have in order to stay one step ahead.

According to the report by AMuS, Pirelli suspect that F1 teams have been downplaying the data they have collected in a ‘game of poker’ across the pit lane.

Due to the restrictive nature of the upcoming ruleset, the Italian tyre manufacturer expected the figures provided by F1 teams to be in a ‘comparable range’.

However, tyre engineers at Pirelli have complained that the ‘range of simulations is very wide’, which points towards the grid hiding certain numbers from them.

The report states that if the figures are to be believed, then they suggest ‘considerable differences’ in the pace from top to bottom on the grid.

More importantly, the figures are used to design the tyre construction, and so if the data that has been sent over is incorrect, Pirelli could potentially build a tyre that is at risk of being damaged once racing begins next March.

Tyre management could end up becoming the main narrative behind who ends up on the top step of the podium, which could see front-runners being hampered by not being able to extract their full potential.

It’s not the first time that Pirelli tyre tests have been exploited towards the interests of the teams taking part in them. Ferrari utilised a test to refine a front wing upgrade for Lewis Hamilton ahead of the Italian Grand Prix in September.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc may have just realised an F1 first with Ferrari’s bonus experiment in 2026 Pirelli tyre test

The latest on Pirelli’s 2026 Formula 1 tyres

One of the main changes that Pirelli are attempting to make for the 2026 season is a more aggressive soft compound tyre, something that may strike fear into Max Verstappen and Red Bull, given their struggles with tyre management throughout the current campaign.

The Italian manufacturers are hoping to build a more sizable gap between the C6 and C5 compounds, which will see lap times fall and, hopefully, degradation to stay the same.

As well as the Prancing Horse’s exploitation of the tyre test in September, Ferrari may have also enjoyed another ‘extremely useful’ advantage in their understanding of next year’s aerodynamic package.

The FIA published a new technical directive that allowed teams to develop a system simulating a new front wing, which gave Pirelli a good idea of how F1’s new version of DRS will affect the tyres in 2026.