Tires are one of the most essential parts of a Formula One car. They’re the only point of contact between the car and the track, and how they perform can make an enormous impact on the car’s speed and handling. Tires must provide sufficient grip to enable the car to corner and accelerate at high speeds while also lasting long enough to complete the race distance.
F1 tires are different from typical road car tires because they have been tailored for racing. They are slick (smooth) with no treads or grooves on the surface. This increases the contact area that exists between the tire and the track, leading to the best possible grip.
Since its inception, tire technology in Formula One has improved significantly. F1 tires in the 1950s and 1960s were composed of tough rubber and had very little grip. But in the 1970s, the tire industry encountered a significant improvement as firms like Goodyear and Michelin manufactured tires that had better traction and durability.
📦 #BahrainGP Pit Stops
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 5, 2023
🔀 Different combinations of 🔴C1 and ⚪️C3 use shook up the midfield battle nicely!
😭 You can’t help but feel for Lando #F1 #Fit4F1 pic.twitter.com/pPdfY6tIGI
The softer compound of these newly developed tires allowed drivers to push their vehicles to the limit without having to worry about grip loss. The invention of slick tires without a tread pattern, which presented more traction and granted faster cornering, also took place in the late 1970s.
The FIA introduced regulations in the 1980s limiting the number of tires that could be used throughout the span of a race weekend, which supported the development of sturdier tires that could last longer without degrading performance. Softer compound tires with additional grip were still being manufactured by tire manufacturers such as Pirelli and Goodyear.
Michelin introduced radial tires in the 2000s, which proved stronger than the previous cross-ply tires. The grip and handling were enhanced by the larger contact patch of these tires. In 2011, Pirelli ceased to be a secondary supplier of F1 tires and started to offer a variety of new compounds, such as super-soft, soft, medium, and hard.
Race win number one of the 2023 #F1 season goes to Max Verstappen 🏆
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 5, 2023
The winning strategy: 🔴C3 🔴C3 ⚪️C1#Fit4F1 #BahrainGP 🇧🇭 pic.twitter.com/zJFMVWwLmV
Formula One tires have been created by many providers and include names like Pirelli, Goodyear, Dunlop, Michelin, and several others.
Nowadays F1 tires are 18 inches in diameter, and this season C1 tires have been crafted by Pirelli that improve the warm-up phase, and as a result degradation and overheating are curbed to an extent. The tire compounds this season are of 6 types:
C0 – These are the hards that were used in the 2022 season. They can run for extremely long stints and provide maximum resistance to heat and extreme forces.
C1 – These are the all-new tires developed by Pirelli and are an amalgamation of the C1s and C2s of the previous year.
C2 – These are the third-hardest compound tires, used for newer circuits to test out in real-time race conditions.
C3 – These are extremely dynamic and can be used for all the 3 selections and are balanced in both performance and durability.
C4 – These are used for low-severity circuits and bring up performance quicker than the aforementioned varieties.
C5 – These are used for slow circuits where the asphalt is exceptionally smooth and is the softest. Normally used at street circuits.
That’s Pirelli Pole Position Award number 2⃣1⃣ for @Max33Verstappen! #F1 #Fit4F1 #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/zfvxLgEJdW
— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) March 4, 2023
There are two more tires for different moisture conditions; Green Intermediates with a light tread for conditions where the tracks are slightly wet, like during a drizzle, and Blue Full Wets with big treads that are used during heavy rain and displace heavy amounts of water.
The tires are color-coded; red, blue, and white tires are soft, medium, and hard respectively. The green tires, aka intermediates, and blue ones, aka full wets and make use of the harder compounds.
How do F1 drivers change tires mid-race?
Pitting is essentially the act of taking a detour from the regular lap routine to make a change in tires. It is normally done to adapt to changing weather conditions or to replace degraded tires due to exposure to the track. The drivers are instructed to ‘Box’ and then they drive into the pit lane at a predetermined speed to their pit wall in the paddock.
⏱ 1.82 seconds (𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝) 🥇 #BrazilGP 🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/3UGTfur4da
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) November 11, 2021
This is where teamwork comes in in F1 where various team engineers work to replace the tires as fast as possible. The fastest pit stop was done by Red Bull in 1.82 seconds in 2019 for Max Verstappen. Tires are screwed out with a drill, replacements are put on and drilled back in all in the span of a few seconds. There is room for error in pitstops as there have been many instances of mistakes in changing tires that have caused DNFs.
F1 teams and manufacturers continuously develop new compounds and constructions for tires to improve grip and performance on various track surfaces and in various weather conditions. Another crucial element in a team’s performance is the tire choice and race management approach.
In Formula 1, tires serve both performance and safety purposes. The tires are exposed to significant stress due to the high speeds and forces involved in F1 racing, and failure of a tire at a high speed can result in accidents. It is impossible to overstate the value of tires in Formula 1. They are essential in determining the speed, handling, and safety of the car, so teams and constructors put a lot of dedication into enhancing tire performance.