Pirelli Hails Tyre Grip That Fired Up Miami F1 Battles

Pirelli applauds strong tyre grip at the Miami Grand Prix, where low degradation boosted strategy, wheel-to-wheel racing, and F1 excitement

Pirelli praised McLaren’s standout performance over the Miami Grand Prix weekend, where the team collected the maximum 58 points across the Sprint and the main race. The tyre supplier also highlighted the impressive durability of certain stints during the 57-lap race.

Nico Hülkenberg and Lance Stroll completed the longest runs on the hard compound, while Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, and Charles Leclerc led the way on the medium tyres, each completing 29 laps on that compound. Pirelli’s F1 chief, Mario Isola, shared his takeaways from the event.

“The race was straightforward in terms of tyre management,” Isola explained. “Even though we brought compounds that were a step softer than last year to create more strategy options, the data clearly showed it would still be a one-stop race, and that’s exactly what happened.”

Degradation levels were lower than expected on both the C3 and C4 compounds, especially on the softer C4. This allowed drivers on mediums to extend their first stints well into the race, helped in part by a timely Virtual Safety Car that gave the leaders a clean switch to hard tyres.

Despite the narrow optimal temperature range of the tyres, the limited degradation played a key role in enhancing the racing. “Low tyre wear allowed drivers to push hard and battle throughout the race, especially in the early stages,” Isola added.

“The race played out very differently compared to Suzuka a month ago. Miami’s layout offers more overtaking opportunities, and it really shows how many variables need to come together to deliver the kind of show that fans deserve.”