One of the most exciting sports events in the world has to be the F1. The world’s premier car race has been around since 1950 when it was established and has captured the imagination of people from around the world.
As drivers and die-hard fans will know, one of the most important parts of any F1 car has to be its tyres. In this article, we explore what makes F1 tyres such a crucial component to these race cars, and how they support some of the greatest racing drivers ever seen.
First — let’s talk about tyre compounds
One of the key aspects of tyres that you may have heard of before if you follow F1 is the compounds. A tyre compound refers to the degree of softness the rubber on a tyre is, with most coming in three different types: hard, medium or soft. These are the options for drivers when the weather conditions are dry.
For an in-between track surface of dampness, there’s an option for drivers to use intermediate tyres and a wet compound version if the track is really wet. All these tires are made by the Italian brand Pirelli.
Based in Milan, Pirelli has existed since 1872 and is the 6th-largest tyre manufacturer. The manufacturer has been sponsoring sports competitions since all the way back in 1907. They became the exclusive tyre partner for F1 since 2011 and it doesn’t look like the racing franchise has any plans on changing soon.
So how do these compounds impact performance?
It’s the job of tires to get as much grip as possible on the road to increase performance and be able to maintain it for a good amount of time. It’s not too different from how the unique tread tires can affect the performance of regular driving on the road. The same logic applies, but obviously at a much different scale.
F1 team strategists and drivers are always trying to balance the performance of the tyres with endurance. The compound of soft tyres, for instance, offers the fastest rubber. Meaning faster on the tracks and a chance to get ahead of other vehicles. However, they’re much more likely to wear out long before harder varieties of compound do.
Medium tyres are the balanced option (although not always the best choice depending on the race and weather. As the name suggests, they’re somewhat slower than the soft compounds but remain a faster option than the hard ones. They’re more durable than softs but don’t have the same endurance as harder compounds.
And hard tyres? Well, they provide the least amount of grip, making them slower than the other two compounds. But they’re long-lasting and can make it through many laps on the track.
How does it work during a weekend of racing?
F1 gets even more interesting as there are rules around how many tyres a driver can use over the course of a racing weekend. Every driver has a maximum of 13 tyres for dry weather for the entirety of the three days. They also must return two of these sets of tyres after each one of the practising sessions, leaving them a total of just seven of these tyres for qualifying and race.
The strategy of tyre use is another aspect of these components that becomes crucial when it comes to winning or losing. And can make a real difference in a race!
Do tyres really make a difference in the F1?
The answer is of course yes!
In fact tyres in the F1 have a huge role to play in the safety of a driver, as some will remember from the 2005 United States Grand Prix controversy when Ralf Schumacher crashed on turn 13 during the afternoon’s practice session as a result of his left rear tyre failing.
Many drivers will attest to the difference that tyres can make on their race, making them one of the most crucial components of a car.
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