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- The pinnacle of motorsport shifts from the streets of Miami to the historic Italian venue where drivers will face a fresh challenge with Pirelli‘s softest tire selection of the 2025 season.
- While it’s difficult to imagine teams using the C6 for extended race stints, the data collected here—and at upcoming races in Monaco and Montreal—will allow Pirelli’s engineers to evaluate its performance for potential use at other venues in the second half of the season.
- Teams that quickly adapt to understanding the performance window of this new ultra-soft tire might gain a significant advantage at tracks where it appears later in the season.
After a one-week break following the Miami race, Formula 1 returns to action on European soil at the legendary Imola circuit in Italy. This weekend marks an exciting technical milestone as teams will experience the all-new C6 tire compound for the first time in competitive racing conditions.
The pinnacle of motorsport shifts from the streets of Miami to the historic Italian venue where drivers will face a fresh challenge with Pirelli’s softest tire selection of the 2025 season. The Italian tire manufacturer has opted for its most aggressive compound lineup yet, featuring the C4 as hard, C5 as medium, and the brand-new C6 as the soft option.
First real-world test for the ultra-soft C6 compound
This race weekend represents the competitive debut of the C6 compound on the 2025 Formula 1 cars. Surprisingly, not a single driver has previous experience with this tire as none opted to use it during pre-season testing in Bahrain. Designed specifically for circuits with lower tire degradation, the C6 promises to deliver enhanced grip during qualifying laps.
The relatively smooth surface at Imola (less abrasive than average tracks) makes it an ideal testing ground for this ultra-soft compound. While it’s difficult to imagine teams using the C6 for extended race stints, the data collected here—and at upcoming races in Monaco and Montreal—will allow Pirelli’s engineers to evaluate its performance for potential use at other venues in the second half of the season.
Imola’s unique tire challenges
Beyond the introduction of the new C6, tire management at Imola faces distinct challenges. The track layout features numerous acceleration and braking zones where tires experience relatively low loads and limited wear. However, the tall curbs can increase mechanical stress, especially on the suspension components and tire sidewalls.
Due to the limited overtaking opportunities at this historic track, qualifying performance takes on added importance, as does finding the optimal race strategy. (I’ve always found it fascinating how tracks with fewer passing zones make tire strategy exponentially more critical to the final result.)
Looking back to plan ahead
Last year’s race at Imola saw a one-stop strategy emerge as the most competitive option. Among the 20 drivers, 15 started on medium tires (then the C4 compound), three began with the hard compound (C3), and just two opted for softs (C5). The harder compounds performed exceptionally well, delivering stable performance with minimal degradation despite track temperatures exceeding 122°F (50°C).
Those who gambled on starting with soft tires were forced into a less optimal two-stop strategy. With Pirelli bringing an even softer tire selection compared to last year, teams will be analyzing whether this shift influences strategic planning.
Strategic considerations for race day
Imola presents several unique factors that influence tire strategy. The circuit features just one DRS zone, severely limiting overtaking possibilities elsewhere on the track. Meanwhile, the pit lane entry/exit time is the longest on the entire F1 calendar—a factor that strongly favors minimizing pit stops.
These elements collectively push teams toward single-stop strategies at this venue. But might the introduction of the ultra-soft C6 compound shake things up? That’s the question on everyone’s mind heading into the weekend.
The qualifying sessions should be especially thrilling as drivers push these new softest tires to their absolute limit. The C6 compound could potentially unlock lap time that we haven’t seen at Imola in the modern era of Formula 1. Would you be surprised to see qualifying records fall this weekend? I certainly wouldn’t!
The bigger picture for tire development
Pirelli’s decision to introduce the C6 at Imola represents part of their ongoing tire development program. Formula 1’s shift toward more challenging and diverse tire compounds creates additional strategic variables for teams to master.
The data gathered from this weekend will influence not only future tire selections for similar low-grip circuits but may also guide the development of next season’s compounds. Teams that quickly adapt to understanding the performance window of this new ultra-soft tire might gain a significant advantage at tracks where it appears later in the season.
As Formula 1 continues its European leg of the championship, all eyes will be on how these new tires perform under the pressure of competitive racing. Will they create new strategic possibilities? Or will the traditional one-stop approach still rule at Imola? We’ll find out when the lights go out this Sunday.
