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Pirelli says Soft tyre stayed competitive over long stints at Sepang

Pirelli said the Soft stayed competitive over long stints at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, with some drivers using it for almost half the race. Motorsport director Dario Marrafuschi said lower temperatures and a damp track helped keep tyre temperatures under control and reduce thermal degradation.

GPBeat · Newsroom04 Oct 2026, 21:59 · 1 min

AI-generated editorial motorsport illustration; not a documentary photograph. · 2026-10-04GPBeat newsroom · News Made Clear generated illustration

Pirelli said the Soft tyre remained particularly competitive over long stints at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, held at the Sepang International Circuit.

Dario Marrafuschi, Pirelli's motorsport director, said temperatures were noticeably lower than on previous days and the circuit stayed damp for much of the race after the downpour before the start. Those conditions helped keep tyre temperatures under control and reduced thermal degradation, he said.

Before the race, Pirelli expected a two- or three-stop race, with high tyre degradation seen in practice. Marrafuschi said some drivers covered almost half the race on the Soft, while neutralisations prompted many teams to choose C4 — Pirelli's code for a tyre compound — in the closing stages.

Pirelli also assessed the Intermediate as delivering high grip and consistent performance throughout its stint. The Hard and Medium compounds were consistent and predictable but offered less grip than the Soft; Marrafuschi described them as viable options for both front-running and midfield teams.

Sources 03

PRIMARY SOURCEWhat the teams said – Race day in MalaysiaFormula 1
PRIMARY SOURCEWhat are the tyre strategy options for the Bahrain GP in Malaysia?Formula 1
PRIMARY SOURCEVerstappen wins Bahrain GP in Malaysia as Russell retiresFormula 1

Claims and supporting evidence 5

Pirelli said the Soft remained particularly competitive over long stints at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia at Sepang.

Formula 1's race-day report records this assessment in Pirelli Motorsport Director Dario Marrafuschi's comments and identifies the circuit.

[1]

Marrafuschi said lower temperatures and a damp track after the pre-race downpour helped control tyre temperatures and reduce thermal degradation.

The report records these conditions and their attributed effect in Marrafuschi's Pirelli comments.

[1]

Pirelli expected a two- or three-stop race before the Grand Prix, with high tyre degradation seen in practice.

The race recap presents the stop range as Pirelli's pre-race prediction and notes the degradation seen in practice.

[3]

Marrafuschi said some drivers covered almost half the race on the Soft and neutralisations prompted many teams to choose C4 late in the race.

The report records both the approximate Soft stint and the late C4 choice in Marrafuschi's race-day remarks.

[1]

Pirelli described the Intermediate as high-grip and consistent, and the Hard and Medium as consistent and predictable, with less grip than the Soft but viable for front-running and midfield teams.

These compound assessments appear in Marrafuschi's Pirelli comments.

[1]

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.