Pirelli’s C2 and C3 tire compounds were the most widely used in F1 this season

Tire wear is at the heart of strategies in F1. Since 2011 Pirelli has been the sole tire supplier for the premier category of motor sport and is under contract until 2027. Depending on the heat conditions, humidity, Pirelli decides to bring a certain type of tire from its range which will be the softs, mediums and hard during the race.

The Italian company has designed seven different types of tires for the 2023 F1 season, C0 to C5, ranging from the hardest to the softest, as well as intermediate and max rain tires in case of bad weather during a race. Drivers are required to change the type of tire at least once during the race, unless the start is made on a soaked track.

The temperature in the air and on the ground is also a factor to consider for the maintenance of the tyres. The highest temperatures were recorded in Austin (34.7 °C in the air) and Budapest (53.6 °C on the circuit) while the coldest were measured in Zandvoort (15.1 °C in the air) and Las Vegas (18.5 °C on the track).

Statistics of different tire compounds

93.69% of all the laps of the season were carried out with the various slick tires. Compound C3 was the most used during the season 105,499 kilometers, or 36.57% of the season, followed by C4 with 79,126 kilometers (27.43%), C2 with 44,443 kilometers (15.41%), C5 39,091 kilometers (13.55%) and finally C1 with only 16,158 (5.73%).

Pirelli has published the longest stints performed on each set of tires, including prototype gums, for this 2023 season. The longest stint was recorded by the C2 tire with 302.575 kilometers. The shortest stint was on the full wet tire with 56.729 kilometers. Only the C0 stint was not indicated by the Italian manufacturer. The prototype gums were used in Barcelona, Suzuka and Mexico.