As Pirelli reveals the tyre allocation for the pre-season testing, it’s evident that only two teams have taken a gamble on the weather forecast. Aston Martin and Haas seem to have peered into the meteorological crystal ball, anticipating the predicted rainfall for Thursday at the Bahrain circuit.
The ground-effect cars have been a staple in Formula 1 since 2022, and Bahrain continues to be the stage for the official pre-season outing, with 2025 being no exception. Teams will descend on the Bahrain International Circuit on Wednesday for three days of unrestricted running, testing their mettle on the 5.412-kilometre circuit from 10am to 7pm, with a respite hour for lunch.
The rules are simple: teams are free to complete as many laps as they wish, the only limitations being the reliability of the car, the engine, and, crucially, the tyres. However, despite the freedom, only two teams have requested wet-weather tyres from Pirelli, with the forecast predicting rain on Thursday.
The UK’s Met Office, along with other weather forecasting services, predict a high of 15 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, accompanied by strong gusts of wind up to 29mph. However, Thursday’s forecast hints at a possibility of rain throughout the day, drying up by Friday, which is expected to have a high of 17 degrees Celsius and similar wind speeds.
The three-day testing period, although predominantly dry, might see the new F1 2025 cars navigating a few laps in wet conditions. But, only two teams are prepared for this – Aston Martin and Haas.
The tyre allocation data from Pirelli reveals that these two teams are the only ones to have chosen wet-weather tyres. Aston Martin has opted for three sets of intermediate tyres, while Haas has requested one wet and one intermediate set. This suggests that if the rainfall is significant, Aston Martin and Haas might be the only teams on the track.
The remaining teams have divided their tyre choices between Pirelli’s dry range, with the medium option being the most popular. Mercedes, for instance, has chosen 27 sets of the C3 tyres out of an available 35 sets, while Racing Bulls has chosen 23 sets. The hardest tyre in Pirelli’s range, the C1, has seen Aston Martin taking eight sets and Williams 12 of the C2. Ferrari, on the other hand, has selected five C4 tyres and a single set of red-walled C5, a choice mirrored by Williams.
As the Bahrain’s Sakhir circuit gears up to host the only official test session before the 2025 F1 season commences, it will be interesting to see how the teams’ tyre strategies play out under the looming threat of unexpected rain.