Tire Allocation
How Pirelli allocates tire sets and how teams plan compound usage across a weekend.
Each driver receives a fixed allocation of tires for a race weekend, and how they use these sets across practice, qualifying, and the race is a critical strategic decision. Tire allocation management determines how many fresh sets are available for qualifying and the race, and teams that manage their allocation wisely gain a strategic edge. Understanding this system helps you follow why drivers run different compounds in practice and why having a fresh set of soft tires in Q3 can be decisive.
The tire compounds and allocation available to each driver across a race weekend
Key Ideas
Fixed Number of Sets
Each driver receives a set number of tire sets for the entire weekend — typically 13 sets across three compounds. These must last through practice, qualifying, and the race. Once a set is used and returned to the tire supplier, it cannot be used again.
Compound Selection
The tire supplier selects three dry compounds for each race from the available range (soft, medium, hard — though the specific rubber compositions vary by circuit). Each driver receives a prescribed mix of these three compounds.
Practice Set Management
Teams must balance gathering data in practice against saving fresh tires for qualifying and the race. Running too many sets in practice leaves fewer fresh options later; running too few means less data to inform setup and strategy decisions.
Mandatory Compound Usage
During a dry race, drivers must use at least two different tire compounds. This rule ensures strategic variety and prevents teams from simply running the fastest compound the entire race. It creates the pit stop decisions that make strategy interesting.
Returning Used Sets
At certain points during the weekend, teams must return used tire sets to the supplier. This enforced return schedule ensures teams cannot hoard tires and must make choices about which sets to keep and which to give back.
How It Works
Each driver receives a set number of tire sets for the entire weekend — typically 13 sets across three compounds. These must last through practice, qualifying, and the race. Once a set is used and returned to the tire supplier, it cannot be used again.
The tire supplier selects three dry compounds for each race from the available range (soft, medium, hard — though the specific rubber compositions vary by circuit). Each driver receives a prescribed mix of these three compounds.
Teams must balance gathering data in practice against saving fresh tires for qualifying and the race. Running too many sets in practice leaves fewer fresh options later; running too few means less data to inform setup and strategy decisions.
During a dry race, drivers must use at least two different tire compounds. This rule ensures strategic variety and prevents teams from simply running the fastest compound the entire race. It creates the pit stop decisions that make strategy interesting.
At certain points during the weekend, teams must return used tire sets to the supplier. This enforced return schedule ensures teams cannot hoard tires and must make choices about which sets to keep and which to give back.
See the Why
During practice sessions, notice which tires teams choose to run. If a team uses only hard and medium tires in practice, they may be saving their soft sets for qualifying. In qualifying, watch for who has new soft tires available in Q3 versus who must reuse a set from Q1 or Q2 — that fresh set can be worth several tenths of a second.
Real-World Examples
Saving Softs for Qualifying
A team uses only medium and hard tires during Friday practice, preserving all their soft compound sets. On Saturday, they have maximum fresh soft options for qualifying, giving their driver the best chance at a strong grid position.
Race Tire Planning
A team uses one set of each compound in practice to gather degradation data, then keeps two fresh sets of mediums for the race. Their strategy calls for two medium stints, and having fresh tires for both stints gives their driver a pace advantage over rivals who used their mediums in practice.
Forced Reuse in Q3
A driver advances to Q3 but has already used all their fresh soft tires in Q1 and Q2. They must set their Q3 time on a used set, putting them at a disadvantage compared to rivals who managed their allocation to have a fresh set available.
Quick Check
Why must drivers use at least two different tire compounds during a dry race?
Reveal answer
The mandatory two-compound rule ensures that every dry race includes at least one pit stop and a strategic element. Without this rule, drivers could simply run the fastest compound for the entire race, eliminating the tire strategy that makes races tactically interesting.