Tyre choice plays a key role in an F1 teams' strategy during a race weekend, but from a fan's perspective it can be difficult to understand what it all means. Guest writer Zaynab wraps it all up in this quick guide.
Image from Formula1.com
Pirelli is currently the sole supplier of tyres to Formula 1, Pirelli has been the main supplier of tyres to F1 since 2011 and at least until 2023.
For the 2021 Formula 1 season Pirelli has presented a new range of tyres, five slick compounds and three colours for each race. There are the white hards, yellow mediums and red softs. This year each compound will be assigned a number rather than a set colour. The compounds are numbered from C1 to C5, with C5 being the softest and C1 being the hardest. The Pirelli tyre range also includes two wet options - the blue full wet tyres and the green intermediate tyres.
The C5 tyre -
The compound five tyre is similar to the super-soft (the fastest tyre Pirelli has ever made). This tyre is not a qualifying tyre. This tyre is considerably faster than all the other Pirelli tyre compounds however it does have a considerably short lifespan.
The C4 tyre -
The compound four tyre works best on tight and twisty circuits such as Monaco. This tyre warms up fairly quick and has amazing peak performance however this compound is still one with a relatively short lifespan.
The C3 tyre -
The compound three is the tyre that is most commonly used as it can be used as the softest compound at high-severity tracks and can be used as the hardest compound at low-severity tracks.
The C2 tyre -
The compound two tyre is on the harder end of the spectrum so it is extremely versatile however it is one of the slower tyres Pirelli makes.
The C1 tyre -
The compound one tyre is Pirelli's hardest tyre. This tyre takes a while to warm up but is the most durable of the tyres. This tyre also offers the least tyre degradation.
The intermediate tyre -
The intermediate tyre is the compromise between the slick compounds and the full wet tyres. These tyres can be used on a wet track with no standing water as well as tracks with a drying surface.
The wet tyre -
The full wet tyres are the best for heavy rain. These tyres have been seen very rarely in the last few years and teams tend to only use them is in dire need. The wet blue tyres are the slowest of the two wet tyres.
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