F1 Australian Grand Prix 2025: What are the tire choices and methods for every driver?

The primary Grand Prix of the 2025 Formulation 1 season begins in a couple of brief hours, with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locked out the entrance row for McLaren, who need to defend their Constructors’ Championship from a season in the past. As for Norris, who begins in pole place, it is a large first step in the direction of difficult for the Drivers’ title.

However we’re a good distance away from crowning Norris or the Woking-based operation champions.

Behind the McLaren duo are a number of drivers who confirmed true tempo throughout qualifying, and with moist climate within the forecast there may be additionally the potential for chaos to unfold on Sunday.

Earlier than the lights exit, what tires do every driver have accessible for the Australian Grand Prix, and what are the potential methods? Let’s dive in.

What tires do every driver have for the Australian Grand Prix?

Based on Pirelli, the unique tire provider for the Australian Grand Prix, listed here are the accessible tires for every driver in Sunday’s major occasion:

Not mirrored on this desk are the moist tire choices for every driver. In the course of the 2025 F1 season drivers have 4 units of the green-walled intermediate tires, and three units of the blue-walled full moist tires for a given weekend.

Rain is predicted through the day Sunday in Melbourne, with present forecasts calling for showers through the 4:00 p.m. hour native time. Lights exit at 3:00 p.m. native time.

What are the tire technique choices for the Australian Grand Prix?

Right here is the place the rubber meets the street, so to talk.

Based on Pirelli the most probably tire technique for the Australian Grand Prix is a two-stop race, such because the one Carlos Sainz Jr. used final yr to win. Sainz started on the medium compound, pitted on Lap 16 to bolt on a set of hards, after which pitted once more on Lap 41 to complete the race on one other set of hards.

Groups might additionally make use of a two-stop technique, however beginning on a set of softs to try to acquire observe place on the outset, earlier than going hard-hard to complete the race.

A 3rd two-stop technique that groups might use? A mixture of all three compounds, beginning on the softs earlier than going to the medium, after which the laborious to complete the race.

Nonetheless, a one-stop technique is feasible. Based on Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Director of Motorsport, the low degree of graining the groups have seen this week might see a driver or two gamble on a one-stopper. “[B]ased on the a lot decrease degree of graining in comparison with earlier years, that we’ve seen over the previous two days, the one-stop may very well be the quickest resolution that includes the Medium and Onerous,” stated Isola in Pirelli’s post-qualifying report. “The C3 and C4 have each proven virtually zero degradation with very related efficiency ranges.”

Groups seeking to roll the cube on a one-stop might begin out on the mediums and make the change to the laborious compound round Lap 20 to 26. You may additionally see among the drivers in the back of the grid — if the race begins in dry circumstances — start on the hards and run lengthy, hoping for intervention from a security automobile. Groups with two contemporary units of hards like Sauber with Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, or Haas with Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, might attempt that technique.

Final yr Fernando Alonso and Hülkenberg had been the one two drivers to start on the hards, with Alonso beginning in P10 and Hülkenberg down in P16.

Listed here are the primary attainable tire methods as outlined by Pirelli:

Nonetheless, there may be one other consideration, and that’s the rain. With moist climate within the forecast, there may be the potential for circumstances to dictate the technique in a couple of alternative ways.

The primary potential situation is a completely moist race, which might see groups using the intermediates and the complete wets for the whole Australian Grand Prix.

Within the second situation, the showers don’t come into play and the Australian Grand Prix takes place in completely dry circumstances. This might open the door to a one-stop technique however as Isola notes, if there may be rain earlier within the day it might wash away the observe floor of any collected rubber, resulting in larger ranges of tire degradation and due to this fact, the necessity for a two-stop technique.

“[E]ven if the race is run completely within the dry, we have to take into account the likelihood that the observe floor situation could have been reset due to earlier rain and decrease temperatures, circumstances which might be extra prone to result in graining,” stated Isola. “On this case, the two-stop may very well be the preferred possibility, as soon as once more that includes the Medium and Onerous.”

Then there may be the third situation, and probably the most chaotic of the three: A race run in blended circumstances, the place drivers maybe start on intermediates or the complete wets earlier than making the change — and one of many more durable calls in F1 — to slicks.

“The third situation is a race run in blended circumstances, beginning on a moist or damp observe requiring intermediate tires, previous to a change to slicks. On this case, the drivers might attempt to lengthen the Intermediate stint as a lot as attainable earlier than switching to the Onerous,” stated Isola. “The Mushy might solely come into play if the change to slicks occurred within the closing phases.

“No matter occurs, it appears to be like like being a enjoyable afternoon!”

It completely does.