The tyre compound that F1 teams choose to use in each session has a major impact on their performance across the race weekends. But what’s the difference between them all? From softs to hard and inters to full wets, each of these sets has its own benefits and limitations. While choosing a tyre, various factors must be considered such as the conditions of the track, race distance, or the particular session that is taking place. A team’s ability to identify the correct tyre compound in alignment with their strategy is vital in terms of optimising performance.
Different tyre compounds are not exclusive to F1. However, in other motorsport series such as NASCAR and IndyCar. For example, despite their tyres being produced by Goodyear instead of Pirelli, NASCAR similarly uses dry weather compounds – otherwise known as ‘slicks’. Another similarity between F1, NASCAR and IndyCar would be that none of these series race in extremely wet conditions, as a result of lack of grip as well as poor visibility.
Whilst NASCAR has only recently began to introduce wet-weather tyres however, Formula 1 teams are able to operate their cars in damp and wet conditions, through the use of intermediate and full wet compounds. These tyres have tread, and therefore can pass through water and provide more grip for the driver.
What’s the difference between each F1 tyre colour?
In 2018 the Pirelli ‘Rainbow’ was introduced into F1, with a total of 7 compounds available to teams, as well as the Soft, Medium and Hard tyres that we still see today. Pirelli also offered additional compounds such as the Hyper, Super and Ultra softs as well as the Superhard tyre.
These compounds provided teams with a wider choice of grip and durability options. These options would vary for each specific tracks across the calendar. The Rainbow was ultimately scrapped following its introduction in 2018 after thousands of F1 fans complained that the system was too confusing and difficult to follow each week.
Numbers change, performance remains. Gearing down from 7 to 3 colours: for the 2019 F1 season we’ll be out on the tracks with Red, Yellow and White tyre colours.⁰ #Pirelli #Fit4F1 #F1 pic.twitter.com/EEWeNLJzfu
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) October 20, 2018
As of the 2024 season, there are five sets of tyre compounds that are available to teams across the Grand Prix. Two of the tyre compounds, Intermediates and Full Wets are designed to optimise grip in poor weather conditions. The other three of these compounds are designed for dry weather and vary in levels of grip and durability.
In terms of the dry weather tyres available, the FIA assess factors such as track temperature and length to determine the suitable compounds for the weekend. The compounds they can choose from are listed from C0-C5 and vary in levels of grip and durability. Every weekend, the FIA use 3 of these 6 compounds and allocates them as soft, medium and hard tyres.
- Soft (red) Compound tyres – The soft compound tyres are often used during qualifying sessions as they optimise their levels of grip. This ultimately allows them to travel faster on track. However, the soft tyre is also the least durable of all compounds. As a result, this is not the preferred compound for races.
- Medium (yellow) Compound tyres – The medium compound is considered to be the preferred option in the majority of race situations. This is due to its substantially increased durability in comparison to the soft tyres. The medium tyre provides a medium level of grip that allows teams to complete a significant amount of laps. Due to this, the medium compound is primarily chosen in the feature race instead of other sessions.
- Hard (white) Compound tyres – The final type of dry-weather compound is the hard tyre. This is the most durable tyre available to the teams for the weekend. This tyre is the preferred option that teams use when carrying out long stints in race situations. Whilst the hard tyre is beneficial in terms of its lower levels of degradation, its levels of performance in terms of grip are the lowest out of all three dry compounds. Therefore, it is rarely used in any other session other than the Grand Prix and practice sessions.
Across the race weekend, each of these dry-weather compounds is vital for a team in terms of ensuring optimal performance. If a team strategically chooses a compound correctly in each session, it can determine whether they see their car retiring mid-race, or claiming a spot on the podium.
What F1 tyres are used in wet weather?
Whilst each of these compounds are used in dry weather, teams also have two other compounds available during wet weather. They are known as Intermediates and Full Wets. To accommodate to rain, they have grooves that the rainwater can pass through to allow more grip.
- Intermediate (green) Compound Tyres – The Intermediates, otherwise known as ‘Inters’, have a smaller, thinner amount of grooves in comparison to the Full Wets. But it still provides F1 cars with a considerable amount of grip in bad weather conditions. Inters allow cars to optimise grip on tracks that are damp or experiencing light rain during a session.
- Full Wet (blue) Compound Tyres – In comparison to the Intermediates, the Full Wets have tread that is thicker. This allows cars to maximise grip during heavy rain conditions. This also ensures that the drivers’ safety is prioritised through limiting the possibility of being involved in a crash. These tyres are horrible for racing. They are just there so the cars can tolerate the extreme wet conditions on the track.
The Intermediate and Full Wet tyres are essential in optimising an F1 car’s performance. By enhancing grip and in turn safety levels during difficult conditions, it provides fans with a gripping watch with every corner and overtake guaranteed to be unpredictable.
How many sets of these compounds are Formula 1 teams allocated every weekend?
Across a weekend, F1 teams are each allocated a total of 20 sets of tyres, all varying in compounds. 13 sets of dry-weather tyres are allocated to teams during the weekend. These tyres then have to be considered in qualifying and race strategies in order to optimise performance.
Additionally, 4 sets of Intermediate and 3 sets of Full Wets are distributed in the event of wet weather. If a team were to use all of their allocated tyres, they would be forced to retire their car. This would be the only option that would prioritise drivers’ safety and avoid any potential penalties or fines.
As of 2024, the FIA is working together with F1 teams to test alternative methods of tyre allocation. This is in a bid to improve sustainability for the sport’s future. Pirelli have also been testing other aspects such as reducing the amount of spray produced by Wet tyres.
In recent months, Ferrari was pictured to be testing spray guards to reduce spray and improve visibility on the track. However, the FIA were not satisfied with the results of the test.
It’s clear that F1 tyre compounds heavily dictate the overall outcome of each team’s performance during a Grand Prix weekend. In consideration of this, it’s no secret as to why they show a lot of interest in building informed, structured strategies that allow them to use their allocated sets in a way that optimises qualifying and race performance.
