Baku Tyre Choice Sets a Different Test for the 2026 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Formula One’s tyre supplier has chosen the C3, C4 and C5 slick compounds for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which is scheduled for Saturday, September 26. The hardest of those three will wear a white marking, the medium a yellow marking and the soft a red marking. It is a step harder than the 2025 Baku selection, which included the C6.

Each driver is allocated two sets of the hard, three of the medium and eight of the soft for the weekend, with an extra soft set for drivers who reach the final qualifying session. If the race stays dry, drivers must use at least two different slick compounds. Wet-weather tyres remain available if conditions require them.

Why the allocation matters

Baku combines a long full-throttle stretch with heavy braking and slower corners, and the street surface typically gains grip as cars lay down rubber. Those conditions affect the trade-off between a tyre that reaches working temperature promptly and one that can cover a long stint. Sections around Turns 2, 3 and 4 have been resurfaced, though the supplier does not expect those limited changes to dominate tyre behaviour.

A one-stop race is considered plausible because the circuit surface is relatively smooth and tyre wear is expected to be low. That remains a forecast, not a fixed strategy. A safety car, wind, changing temperatures or graining could alter the best choice. Teams must also manage tyre temperature after the long straight before the first heavy braking zone, where a cool front tyre can contribute to a lock-up.

The allocation gives every team the same compound range but does not erase differences in how individual cars use it. Practice runs will show whether the C5 can sustain useful long stints and whether the C3 is attractive enough for the race. Until cars run in Baku, the selection is a framework for strategy rather than a prediction of the finishing order.

The weekend begins on Thursday, with qualifying on Friday and the Grand Prix on Saturday. That shifted schedule gives teams an early chance to test the chosen compounds before committing to race plans.