Pirelli concluded two days of wet tyre testing for its 2026 compounds at Silverstone, with Mercedes supplying both the car and drivers. Rising star Kimi Antonelli drove on day one, before George Russell took over on day two.
Antonelli Opens the Programme in Wet Conditions
A Gravel Moment for the Mercedes Junior
Tuesday’s session saw Kimi Antonelli at the wheel of a modified Mercedes W15 mule, running on the 2.63 km National Circuit. With no natural rain on hand, the track was artificially soaked using tankers to simulate wet conditions.
Antonelli completed 103 laps, clocking a best time of 47.560 seconds. The team spent the morning focusing on intermediate compounds, before switching to full wets in the afternoon. The Italian had a scare late in the day, running off into the gravel and narrowly avoiding the tyre barriers, a near miss that didn’t go unnoticed in the Mercedes garage.
Russell Takes Over for Day Two of Testing
Mercedes Logs 481km Across Both Days
George Russell took over testing duties on Wednesday, continuing the evaluation of 2026 wet and intermediate prototypes. Again using the soaked National Circuit, Russell logged 80 laps, setting a best time of 46.190 seconds.
In total, the Mercedes test car covered 481 kilometres over the two days, giving Pirelli a solid dataset for analysis.
Mixed Results Leave Pirelli with Work to Do
Intermediates Meet Targets, Full Wets Fall Short
Mario Isola, Head of Motorsport at Pirelli, thanked Mercedes for their commitment, particularly given the short turnaround after a transatlantic Grand Prix:
“First of all, a big thank you to the team and both drivers. Coming straight off a transatlantic Grand Prix and getting back on track is no small effort, and we truly appreciate it.”
On the results, he remained measured:
“This test gave us valuable feedback, particularly with the intermediates, where development is progressing as expected. However, the full wet compounds still aren’t where we want them to be. The results weren’t conclusive and will need detailed analysis in the coming days.”
Next Stops: Barcelona and Fiorano
Pirelli’s next 2026 development test will focus on slick tyres, scheduled for 3–4 June at Barcelona, shortly after the Spanish Grand Prix. Mercedes and Racing Bulls will take part.
The next wet weather test is planned for 19–20 June at Fiorano, where Ferrari will run solo on its private circuit equipped with artificial irrigation.
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