Full wet tyres are rarely used in Formula 1 race weekends because visibility becomes dangerously poor when excessive water is on the track, producing spray that obscures vision, as seen at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone. This issue remains a significant safety concern despite efforts from the FIA to reduce spray with the current generation of cars. Attempts such as testing wheel covers to improve the situation have yet to yield successful results.
Additionally, the tyres themselves present challenges. Many drivers, including current world champion Max Verstappen, prefer to remain on intermediate tyres longer than ideal, even in conditions that most would say require full wets. This reluctance is linked to the performance differences between tyre types and the handling characteristics on wet surfaces.
Technical Challenges Behind Wet Tyre Performance
Pirelli is actively working to improve the point at which drivers switch from intermediates to full wets, known as the crossover point. The target for 2025 was to make full wets competitive at roughly 115-116% of dry lap times, but the actual crossover point has hovered closer to 118%, according to Pirelli’s head of motorsport, Mario Isola.
Beyond this numerical target, Isola revealed a deeper problem discovered through renewed analysis. Instead of drivers struggling due to aquaplaning, the main issue has been loss of grip when cornering. This loss is primarily caused by the structure of the tread blocks on the wet tyres. When designing to reduce aquaplaning, more grooves are added, which make tread blocks smaller and more prone to excessive movement. This movement generates heat, ironically causing wet tyres to overheat—leading to diminished grip on slick, wet tracks.
“We’ve slightly changed the development direction for the full wets,”
Isola explained.
“So, instead of looking at aquaplaning as we did in recent years, as that was a comment coming from drivers, we’ve now made a better analysis of what those comments actually mean. And we realised that it was more related to a loss of grip in cornering than to actual aquaplaning.”
“But that means you have smaller tread blocks and that those blocks will move more. If those blocks move, you generate heat and that means that we had overheating of the wet tyre. It seems a joke, but it’s true! That overheating problem caused a loss of grip, and that’s what drivers were actually referring to.”
Modifications to Tread Design and Future Improvements
This insight has already influenced changes to the current wet tyres. Pirelli has altered the tread pattern slightly to reduce overheating by limiting the movement of tread blocks under the constraints of the existing compound and construction. These adjustments primarily aim to improve performance at tracks where wet tyre stress is greater than at testing venues like Fiorano and Paul Ricard.
Looking towards the future, the complete regulation overhaul planned for 2026 presents an opportunity for a more significant upgrade. Pirelli plans to enhance the crossover performance and explore entirely new tread patterns to address the issues that have hindered full wets for so long.
“For 2026, our first target is to improve the crossover point between the intermediates and the full wets, so teams can choose one or the other without losing performance,”
Isola stated.
“And yes, we are also considering a completely different tread pattern to try and go even more into the direction that we just discussed.”
Ongoing Testing Limitations Hamper Development
Despite drivers’ complaints and Pirelli’s efforts, the development of full wet tyres remains restricted by limited testing opportunities. The absence of controlled wet conditions on high-severity tracks makes it difficult to simulate race environments accurately. Nevertheless, Pirelli attempts to maximize any rainy conditions during scheduled tests by switching programs to focus on wet tyre data, even if the environment is not perfectly controllable.
“We still have the issue that we cannot test on high severity tracks under wet conditions,”
Isola said.
“So, if it rains, instead of throwing one day of testing in the bin, we switch the programme and try to test the wets. Obviously, that’s not in a controlled environment, and you don’t have the sprinklers for a controlled level of water, but you still have water and that’s similar to what you encounter during a race weekend.”
Why Solving Wet Tyre Challenges Matters for F1’s Future
The difficulties surrounding F1 wet tyre challenges and improvements have real consequences on race strategies, driver safety, and track competitiveness. Better-performing full wets can enable drivers to push harder and more confidently in wet conditions, reducing the cautious avoidance of certain tyre types and improving overall race spectacle. Pirelli’s ongoing efforts to redesign the tread, improve crossover points, and enhance testing capability are essential to overcoming current frustrations felt by teams and drivers alike.
As the sport approaches the major regulatory changes of 2026, these tyre developments promise to reshape wet weather racing dynamics, potentially restoring full wet tyres as a viable and trusted option for drivers fighting for every fraction of a second in adverse conditions.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is number 13 banned in F1?
A. Yes, the number 13 is permitted. Pastor Maldonado picked #13 when the permanent number system started in 2014. Although some cultures see it as unlucky, F1 let drivers decide.
Q. Which F1 driver has ADHD?
A. Lewis Hamilton, born in 1985, is a British Formula One driver. He currently races for Mercedes and has previously driven for McLaren. Hamilton openly shares his experiences with ADHD, along with exploring his various interests and hobbies.
Q. Is 69 allowed in F1?
A. Right now, drivers can choose a number between 0, 2 through 99 for their racing career. The number 1 is only for the World Champion. If a driver doesn’t compete for two seasons, their number can be picked by someone else, but this rule doesn’t apply to number 1.
Q. Which F1 drivers have ADHD?
A. Lewis Hamilton, full name Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, is from Britain and was born in 1985. He races in Formula One with Mercedes and has previously driven for McLaren. Hamilton openly shares his experiences living with ADHD and talks about his various interests and passions.