Like car tyres, the tyres used in the Formula 1 events are the only part of the car that touch the tarmac.
This makes the tyre choices during an F1 race a critical part of the race.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the more common questions which are asked about F1 tyres, to let you know everything you need to know about these crucial Tyres4U!
What type of tyres do F1 cars use?
In the current 2024 season, F1 cars have a choice of 5 types of tyres, all supplied by Pirelli.
These are categorised as the following (with their corresponding colour code):
- Softs (Red)
- Mediums (Yellow)
- Hards (White)
- Intermediate (Green)
- Full Wet (Blue)
Teams have access to 13 sets of tyres each weekend. This is made up of a selection between eight softs, three mediums, and two hards.
As a general overview, trust me there could be pages written on the technical detail, the 3 main tyre types could be summed as the soft are the tyres that deliver the most grip, but wear out the fastest.
The hard tyres on the other hand will last the longest, but do not deliver as much grip.
Medium, as you might expect are somewhere in between, offering a good performance in terms of grip and longevity – but not excelling in either.
As for the wet and intermediate, these are used when there are wet conditions. Or has been wet conditions recently.