Pirelli

Pirelli is an Italian tyre manufacturer that has been the sole supplier for Formula 1 since 2011. Under the leadership of Mario Isola, Pirelli constantly develops new rubber compounds for its tyres. As the tyres provide a significant part of the grip of an F1 car, the Italian supplier plays a crucial role in the performance of the cars.

Ahead of a race weekend, Pirelli selects three dry-weather tyres from a total of six available options. These are numbered from C1, the hardest tyre, to C6, the softest. The higher the number, the more grip the tyre offers. However, increased grip comes at the expense of tyre life. This means that Formula 1 tyres not only affect the performance of the cars but also play a key role in strategic decisions during a race.

The choices Pirelli makes for the available dry-weather tyres at a Grand Prix are based on several factors. First and foremost, the circuit itself is the most important aspect in the decision-making process. Elements such as asphalt texture, the number of corners, and the type of corners all play a role. Rough asphalt, for example, causes more wear, meaning harder compounds are likely to be chosen. The same applies to circuits with many consecutive corners, as constant side-to-side load increases wear.

Front tyres generally suffer more on tracks with many high-speed corners, such as Suzuka and Zandvoort. Rear tyres tend to wear faster in traction zones when exiting slow corners, as seen on circuits like Baku and Singapore.

Weather is another key factor in Isola and his team’s considerations. That is why the selected compounds are only announced on the Monday before a Grand Prix. In hot weather, Pirellis wear out much faster than under cooler conditions, making it important to wait for the latest forecasts before finalising the choice.

Once the decision is made, the compounds are categorised as soft (red), medium (yellow) or hard (white). The tyre with the lowest number is the hardest. In addition to dry-weather tyres, two compounds are available every weekend for wet conditions: the green intermediates and the blue full wets.

The P ZERO range is currently used in F1. These tyres have been on the market since 1987 and are designed specifically for racing. The P ZERO lettering is only found on Pirelli slick tyres.

The Cinturato range is currently used in F1 exclusively for wet-weather running. In Formula 1, there are two options: intermediates for light rain and full wets for heavy rainfall.