Max Verstappen claimed pole position for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with a 1m41.117s lap on soft tyres, despite his reluctance to use the C6 compound throughout the weekend. The reigning Formula 1 world champion expressed significant frustration over the tyre, highlighting its shortcomings during the Baku City Circuit qualifying on Saturday.
Verstappen’s Reluctance to Use the Softest Tyre in Baku
Throughout the weekend, Verstappen had favored running on medium tyres, which Red Bull had planned as the primary strategy for qualifying and the race. Prior to qualifying, he had not completed any laps on the mediums, reserving the sets specifically for qualifying and race conditions. However, due to red-flag interruptions in Q3, Verstappen and several other drivers were forced to switch to soft tyres to finalize their lap times.
Verstappen explained the situation during the Dutch media session following qualifying, saying,
“At the end, I couldn’t even use the tyre I wanted, because we had already done too many laps on the mediums. The only option left was a new soft, but that tyre is slower.”
When asked if the C6 compound’s issues were limited to specific sections of the Baku track, he replied bluntly,
“No, already from the start of the lap. It’s just an inferior tyre.”
Why Verstappen Believes the C6 Should Be Removed From Racing
Verstappen strongly feels the C6 tyre has no place in current Formula 1 race weekends, calling for Pirelli to reconsider its use entirely. He stated,
“I think I should have a conversation with Pirelli at some point and tell them to just leave that tyre at home, because it makes the whole weekend very tricky.”
He elaborated on the problem by emphasizing how the tyre complicates strategy and gives insufficient reference points before qualifying.
“Look, if the tyre doesn’t work here… It didn’t work in Monaco, it didn’t work in Imola, and in Montreal it didn’t work either. Then you’re really better off leaving it at home,”
Verstappen insisted.
The FIA and Pirelli’s initial intention in introducing softer compounds like the C6 was to promote more two-stop races, increasing strategic variation through additional pit stops. In reality, many races including Baku still trend towards simple one-stop strategies, as acknowledged by Pirelli.
Verstappen proposed an alternative approach to encourage multiple stops, stating,
“I think it’s better to just force a two-stop rather than bring a tyre that isn’t actually any faster.”
He suggested that mandating the use of all three compounds during a race could achieve this goal.
“At least that’s better than bringing a tyre that they claim is faster, but that actually isn’t.”
Pirelli Defends the C6 as Faster in Theory
Despite Verstappen’s criticisms, Pirelli maintains that the C6 compound remains the faster option for qualifying in theory. Mario Isola, Pirelli’s motorsport director, explained,
“The medium and the soft are very close. We are estimating a two-tenths-of-a-second difference in pure performance,”
suggesting an advantage for the C6 soft tyre under ideal conditions.
Isola acknowledged, however, that some drivers found the medium easier to use on Saturday, despite challenging warm-up conditions affected by interruptions and extended time in the pit lane. He reported driver feedback:
“They feel more confidence on the medium rather than the soft. Probably the soft is a little bit more peaky.”
He added,
“Some drivers were pushing towards the medium because they feel more confident on the medium, but today in qualifying the soft had a slightly bigger advantage because of the temperature.”
Impact of Tyre Choices on Race Strategy and Driver Confidence
The mixed reactions to the C6 compound highlight the ongoing tension between tyre manufacturers, teams, and drivers in optimising race strategy. Verstappen’s blunt criticism underscores how tyre performance can influence both lap times and race tactics.
With the soft compound complicating preparations and race planning, drivers like Verstappen are pushing for clearer, more consistent tyre rules to avoid strategic uncertainty. The debate continues as Pirelli aims to balance performance gains with the unpredictability that aims to enhance race excitement.
As the season progresses, how tyre compounds like the C6 are integrated—or potentially removed—could significantly affect how teams approach qualifying and the races themselves, especially on demanding circuits such as Baku, Monaco, Imola, and Montreal.
