© Antonin Vincent / DPPI
Before the summer break, Formula 1 will host two Grands Prix with radically different profiles. Pirelli has announced its compound selections for the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix. Two circuits, two philosophies of tire performance.
Pirelli has unveiled, a few weeks ahead of schedule, its tire compound choices for the Belgian and Hungarian Grands Prix. As with every race, the Italian manufacturer selects three of the six compounds in its range — from the C1, the hardest, to the C5, the softest — for the race weekend.
For Spa-Francorchamps, Pirelli has selected the three middle compounds in its range: C2, C3, and C4. This choice reflects the demanding nature of the Ardennes circuit, the longest on the calendar with over seven kilometers of development track. In terms of tire stress, Spa-Francorchamps is surpassed only by Silverstone and Suzuka—two absolute benchmarks for tire wear.
The Hungaroring presents a very different set of requirements, and Pirelli has addressed this by selecting the three softest compounds available: C3, C4, and C5. The Budapest circuit doesn’t impose particularly high forces in absolute terms, but its short length—4,381 km—means a rapid accumulation of stress on each lap. The cumulative effect is therefore significant, despite cornering speeds that are generally more moderate than at Spa.
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These two Grands Prix will conclude the first part of the 2025 season before the summer break. Teams will then have several weeks to analyze the data collected and prepare for the second part of the championship, which resumes in August. Tire management in Budapest could have a significant impact on the standings, as a strategic deviation on a circuit so conducive to undercuts can quickly reshuffle positions in a tightly packed field.
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