Tire management is a critical part of any Formula 1 race. Teams must ensure that their cars are fitted with the best tires for the expected weather conditions, and also make sure they have enough sets to last them throughout the weekend. But just how many tires does each team use in a typical race weekend? The answer is quite staggering.
A standard F1 car will use around 28 tires over the course of three days. This would mean 14 front and 14 rear. To break it down further, this figure includes five sets of slick tires used during free practice and two sets of wet weather tires in case of rain. For each session, teams must bring two spare sets of wet weather tires, as well as four spare sets of dry slick tires. So that’s an extra 10 per weekend. But even these numbers might not always be enough due to varying track conditions throughout the race weekend.
At times, some teams choose to bring even more – up to 18 for dry testing and 24 for wet testing – meaning some teams can end up using over 50 tires on a single weekend! Crazy, right?! Tire wear is also an important factor to consider when calculating how many tires are needed. With cars capable of reaching incredible speeds above 200mph (320km/h), it’s no wonder that tire wear can be immense during a Grand Prix weekend – especially on the softer compound slicks which wear quicker than their harder counterparts.
Teams need to factor this into their tire allocation strategy, ensuring they have enough spares if one set wears out before the end of the session or race. It’s clear then that tire management plays an integral role in any successful Formula 1 campaign, with teams needing to bring enough rubber with them at each Grand Prix to remain competitive throughout the entire race weekend. This of course means from qualifying through to Sunday afternoon’s chequered flag.
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