Every F1 race weekend pushes tyres to the limit — from blistering speeds to precision pitstops. But just how many sets do teams actually get through? This article dives behind the scenes to reveal the numbers, the strategy, and how conditions shape tyre use across a full Formula 1 weekend.
You need only watch a few minutes of F1 racing to realise how much wear and tear the tyres on each of the race cars go through.
With sharp cornering and turns, incredible acceleration, and constant harsh braking, the tyres on every single F1 car are put through their paces from the second the race starts. And the design of these tyres means they sustain excellent control and performance for a limited time – with the pitstop crew on hand to switch tyres over as soon as they start to burnout.
One particularly interesting question to ask, therefore, is just how many tyres all the race teams get through on a single F1 weekend.
Get your bets in before you keep reading – the answer might surprise you!
How Many Tyres Per Car, Per Weekend?
Each team is allowed to supply their car with 20 sets of tyres for each F1 race weekend.
That’s 20 sets of four tyres, per car that’s involved in the race.
Whether or not they get through their full supply of tyres will depend on a number of different factors, which we will touch on later in this article.
The Supply of Tyres
Believe it or not, the official supplier for Formula 1, which is currently Pirelli as part of a contract that lasts until at least 2027, supplies around 35,000 tyres over the course of the season.
What Affects How Many Tyres Are Used by Each Team?
With so many tyres being handed to each F1 race team, and countless tyre changes being made during a single race, it’s interesting to note exactly what affects those tyre changes and how long each set of tyres lasts on the race track.
Pirelli will determine which tyres the teams get, based on the conditions that they will be driving in. These include slick tyres, also known as dry weather tyres, as well as intermediate and wet track tyres.
Over the course of a race, teams must use at least two tyre types that are given them to, as part of the race rules. There are six different types of slick tyre, as well as the tyres designed for more adverse and challenging weather conditions.
Just some of the factors which impact the tyres used, and how many are required by each team, include:
- The track and its features, for example how many hard corners there are and how many straight drives there are
- The surface of the track and how new / freshly laid it is
- Environmental factors, particularly how hot the surface gets
All of these factors are considered both by Pirelli when supplying tyres for a race weekend, and each individual team when planning their race strategy.
