WHAT TYRES WILL THE TEAMS HAVE FOR THE MEXICO CITY GP?

Pirelli is bringing the softest possible tire range to Mexico City — C3 hard, C4 medium, C5 soft — a step softer than last year's allocation. The decision comes as the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez debuts a major resurfacing project covering nearly two-thirds of the circuit, from Turn 16 through Turn 1 and again from Turn 7 to Turn 16.

Fresh asphalt typically means higher grip and lower roughness, but Mexico's altitude remains the wildcard. Thin air cuts downforce, which increases tire slip and makes graining a persistent threat even on a smooth surface. Pirelli expects the C5 soft to carry weight beyond qualifying — its strong performance on low-severity circuits could make it a legitimate race tire, opening up strategy options that haven't existed here in years. The resurfaced track will evolve session by session, and teams betting on the softer compounds may find an edge over those playing it safe with the hard. Braking into Turn 1 off that long straight will test lock-up discipline early.