After slowing down testing on Tuesday, the rain gave the teams and Pirelli some respite at Mugello, allowing part of the test program planned for both 2025 and 2026 to be completed. On Tuesday, in fact, Red Bull had fielded Liam Lawson to help finalize next year’s compounds, while McLaren had taken to the track with Lando Norris in a mule car testing the 2026 tyres, which remain unchanged compared to the current generation of single-seaters remaining on an 18″ rim ”, but with a slightly smaller width and outer diameter, both on the front and rear axle.
In addition to McLaren and Red Bull, who confirmed the same drivers as the day before, a third team was also added on Wednesday, namely Ferrari, which took to the track with both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at the wheel of the SF-24 , testing tires for next year.
For all four riders it was an extremely useful test session also to keep them in training in view of the return to the track in Austin in two weeks, given the long post-Singapore break. Furthermore, for Lawson, being able to run with Red Bull represents an excellent chance to accumulate kilometers with a top-series car before his debut on American soil, when he will be at the wheel of Racing Bulls replacing Daniel Ricciardo, who was dropped by the team after the last stop at Marina Bay.
Liam Lawson, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Pirelli
As on the previous day, Pirelli technicians worked on two parallel programs on Wednesday too: Red Bull and Ferrari were busy developing the compounds for 2025, in particular the harder ones in the range planned for next season, while the McLaren, which brought a mule car to Mugello, focused on the first tests of the 2026 tire prototypes.
In fact, after having already approved the construction of the 2025 tires, Pirelli is now outlining the final details on the compounds to be brought for next year. Mugello represents an opportunity to better test the resistance of the hardest compounds, given the long bends of the track which transmit a lot of energy to the tires with a high level of stress.
The first hour of activity this morning took place on a track that was still damp, so much so that all three cars were fitted with intermediate tyres, still gathering useful information, especially on a challenging track like the Tuscan one. From eleven o’clock onwards it was possible to switch to slick tires to try to complete the entire planned programme.
Lando Norris in action on the McLaren mule: Pirelli uses DRS to simulate loads closer to those of the 2026 cars
Photo by: Pirelli
At the end of the day, 390 laps had been completed. The most active on the track was Lando Norris, who completed 118 laps, the best of which was 1’21”302, followed by Liam Lawson with 116 laps under his belt. and a best time of 1’23”219. The two Ferrari drivers, however, split the day: Sainza lapped in the first part of the day, completing 79 laps, while Leclerc took to the track in the afternoon at the wheel of the SF-24, putting together 77 laps.
The next stages of the two development programs will take place in two totally different contexts. As for the 2025 tyres, during the weekend of the Mexican Grand Prix the teams will be given an extra half hour in FP2 to test the softer tires in the range in view of next year. If the harder compounds were tested at Mugello, on a less demanding circuit like the Mexican one Pirelli will have the opportunity to test the softer prototypes, this time with all ten teams at the same time. As regards work with a view to 2026, however, the appointment is for 13 and 14 November in Magny-Cours, where the mule car prepared by Alpine will be running.
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