Ferrari's New Rear Wheel Rims Take Aim at Tyre Degradation Ahead of Austria

Why Ferrari changed its rear wheel rims

Tyre degradation has been one of Ferrari's most persistent challenges in the opening rounds of the 2026 season. Mercedes set the early benchmark in race-stint management, while Ferrari's SF-26 visibly lost performance as compounds aged. ^[2] At Barcelona, the team addressed the problem with a redesigned rear wheel rim developed in conjunction with BBS.

Ferrari's new rear wheel rims were a significant part of the upgrade package the team brought to the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and have been credited with improving the thermal degradation of the car's tyres. ^[1] The rims feature a circumferential ring, which appears to be in carbon fibre, affixed at the outer edges of the rim's face; the previous spokes have been deleted. ^[1]

What the rims actually do

The technical logic centres on heat management between the brake assembly and the tyre's inner surface. Isolating the wheel rim from the hot brakes is critical, as is exploiting any cool air circulated inside the brake tins that affects drum surface temperatures. ^[2] Teams are also developing air chambers into rims to help manipulate temperatures inside the tyre. ^[2]

Pirelli's F1 chief engineer Simone Berra noted a notable step change in rim development across the grid in 2026 compared to the previous season, saying conditions have become "much lower than in the past" because "the rim basically is cooling the whole wheel, and the tyres themselves." ^[2] Rims must be submitted to Pirelli in advance for trial fitting; once a team switches specification mid-season, reverting to the previous design is not permitted. ^[2]

:::analysis The timing of the Barcelona introduction is significant. Ferrari ran the new rear rims on the highest-thermal-degradation race day of the season so far, and the data it collects across contrasting circuits, starting with the short, power-sensitive Red Bull Ring, will determine how much of the Spain improvement was specific to Barcelona's characteristics and how much reflects a genuine structural gain in tyre management. :::

Barcelona result and the Austrian picture

Lewis Hamilton's victory at Barcelona ended what had become a 34-race run without a Grand Prix win for Hamilton and Ferrari together; it was a historic first win for the partnership. ^[3] On that race day, thermal degradation was the worst it had been all season, and Ferrari matched Mercedes at managing tyres. ^[2] The upgraded SF-26 displayed a level of performance from Saturday morning onwards that had not been evident earlier in the weekend. ^[4]

The Red Bull Ring now offers a different validation test. Power unit performance is expected to play a much greater role in Austria than it did in Barcelona. ^[4] Ferrari is also introducing its first ADUO-assisted internal combustion engine upgrade at the Red Bull Ring as a separate development strand. ^[5] It is understood Red Bull may also introduce revised wheel rims of its own at the Austrian Grand Prix, a sign that Ferrari's Barcelona development has caught rivals' attention. ^[2]

:::analysis Ferrari's rim change and the broader rim development war illustrate how hidden, regulation-compliant components can swing race outcomes. With the Red Bull Ring's three long straights and altitude placing additional stress on the power unit and tyre compound choice, the rims will be only one factor in Austria. Whether the thermal management gains transfer to a shorter, harder-braking circuit remains an open question going into race week. :::

Related reading

• Tire degradation explained
• The undercut: when and why it works