Pirelli sees scope for wider C5 Soft use at Singapore

More than one team could give the C5 Soft greater consideration for Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, Pirelli says. The final Sprint of the season could also encourage broader C5 use across the weekend. Hard and Medium are still expected to be the race's reference compounds.

The 2026 Singapore allocation matches the one used at the 2025 Grand Prix: C3 Hard, C4 Medium and C5 Soft. Pirelli still sees a one-stop strategy as the preferred choice, citing time lost in the pit lane and the frequent likelihood of neutralisations.

Pirelli's case for considering the C5 rests on strong pace with limited degradation. At Budapest, Monza and Baku, the compound let drivers maintain that pace while also offering an advantage in grip and confidence, the supplier says. It adds that the latest-generation cars appear to make better use of softer compounds; aerodynamic load, more effective temperature management and the formulation of current compounds allow longer, more competitive stints than in the past.

Pirelli expects significant track evolution at Marina Bay and says intermittent rain can change grip from one session to the next. For the night race, it expects track temperatures between 30 and 35 °C, conditions in which tyres tend to remain within their working window without particular overheating concerns. Graining and wear are not expected to limit race management.

Conditions at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix changed the opening tyre choice: after afternoon rain left the track damp, the Hard was ruled out. Fourteen drivers started on C4 Medium and the rest on C5 Soft; C3 became the preferred compound for the second stint, and only three drivers opted for two stops.