Tyres are the only part of the car touching the road, and they are where most race strategy starts. Every team uses the same supplier, Pirelli, so the difference is in how they are used.
Compounds
Pirelli makes five dry-weather compounds for 2026, from C1 (the hardest) to C5 (the softest). For each Grand Prix it picks three compounds suited to the circuit and labels them hard (white sidewall), medium (yellow) and soft (red). So "the soft" at one race can be a harder rubber than "the medium" at another.
- Softer tyres grip more and are faster over one lap, but wear and overheat sooner.
- Harder tyres are slower but last longer and resist overheating.
- Intermediates (green) are for a damp or drying track. Full wets (blue) clear standing water.
The two-compound rule
In a dry race every driver must use at least two different dry compounds. That forces at least one pit stop. If the race is wet enough for intermediates or full wets to be used, the rule no longer applies.
Degradation
A tyre does not wear out at a steady rate. It loses grip as the rubber wears and as it heats beyond its working window, and at some point the lap times start to fall away quickly - "the cliff". Degradation is the single biggest variable in a race, and managing it is a driver skill: push too hard early and you pay for it later.