What do the different F1 tyres mean?
In a Formula One race each car is required to change its tyres a minimum of once throughout the race. The number of times they change tyres can be dependent on the weather, and grip among other factors. Pirelli is the official supplier of tyres for the 2022 Formula One season. These tyres are manufactured to only be used for a short period of time, which is why they need to be replaced during a race.
There are 7 different tyres this season, these 7 are split into 3 different types of compounds. The first is hard compound tyres, these have a white line on the outside to distinguish them. These are for very dry driving conditions and have a lot of grips. The next is medium compound tyres which have a yellow line and are also for dry conditions. Followed by soft compound tyres which have a red line and are for dry conditions.
Pirelli also supplies Intermediate tyres which have a green line, which are for light wet weather conditions. There are also wet weather tyres which have a blue line, these tyres are for heavy rain and weather. Both of these tyres are treaded to allow more grip during bad weather conditions. Having multiple different tyres is required due to the intense speed at which the driver is going, therefore the tyres need to be precise to optimise speed.
This season the tyres have changed from 13 inches to 18 inches to suit the new regulations and fit the new car design.
