Nov.12 (GMM) Pirelli has confirmed it will introduce revised wet weather tyres for 2027 after drivers complained about dangerous grip levels and tyre warm-up problems in Brazil.
Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Isack Hadjar and Lando Norris were among those criticising the tyres at Interlagos, but several other drivers also expressed similar concerns.
“There’s never a moment where you feel really good, the rubber never comes to life,” said Alex Albon.
Pirelli motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi acknowledged the concerns.
“The tyre development is ongoing and we will come with a new specification next year,” he said.
“Some drivers have complained about the warm-up, so we are working on this area for the intermediates next year.”
The problems are partly linked to the new 2026 regulations, which required stiffer tyre construction and higher pressures to cope with active aerodynamics.
However, even the slick tyres caused unusual handling problems in Brazil.
Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli and other drivers reported sudden changes in balance, with some initially suspecting suspension damage.
“As soon as I switched to slick tyres, I experienced extreme oversteer in high speed corners,” Verstappen said.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted both his drivers had complained of similarly strange behaviour.
“They thought the suspension was broken or the tyre pressure was too high,” he said.
“We had good races in Malaysia, Singapore and Brazil,” he said, while acknowledging there was still room for improvement.
The revised intermediate and extreme wet tyres are due to receive FIA homologation in December.