Tyres don’t get a lot of credit or the glam- but they win races, build legacies and can even create chaos. Tyres make or break performance.
Here is everything you need to know about tyre strategy.
The Basics
Formula 1 gives the teams several tyre compounds. There are: soft (fast but fragile), medium (balanced), and also hard (slow but durable). Race teams can choose what tyres are being used based on the track as well as weather. For example, they can use a more gripping tyre when the track is slippery from rain.
Strategy In Action
A well thought out and perfected tyre strategy can do many good things for a driver. They can successfully undercut a rival, survive a safety car and as well as unleash a late race charge.
One legendary example is Hungary 2019. Mercedes gave Hamilton a set of fresher tyres during the later laps of the race. This made him unstoppable, and he managed to overtake Verstappen with ease.
You cannot go into a race blind. Teams have to trial and error in order to see what works for them and have racing success.
Weather- The Wild Card
There is one factor that teams cant plan for- the weather. It really can turn your whole system upside down. When it rains, it is suddenly about intermediates or full wets, timing your pit, and reading the sky.
Alterations during the race to tyres, as well as strategy, can be made due to weather changes. This is not a guaranteed success, however.
Pit Stop Timing
It is not if you need to stop- it is when. Too early and you’ll fade into the back of the crowd but too late and rivals fly past you.
Teams utilise data, live feedback and also their gut to decide when to pit. This can either make or break careers in a matter of seconds. A team usually has a designated strategist for each driver so that they can maximise their drives.
The Human Element
Tyre strategy still needs drivers who can adapt to change. Things can suddenly switch up and it isn’t always predictable. Checo Perez has amazing tyre management capabilities- stretching compounds way beyond their usual life spans.
Drivers need skill, not just good engineers and strategists. They all tie together.
Tyre strategy isn’t boring, its a necessity in Formula 1 racing. Could you be a tyre stragegist?
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