F1 tyre prices: How much do they cost, and how much do teams spend at each grand prix?

Max Verstappen driving in Las Vegas — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 Explained

How much do F1 tyres cost? INSANE prices revealed for Las Vegas Grand Prix

All of the details regarding F1's tyres, including who makes them, what compounds there are and how much they cost

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson

Friday 22 November 2024 16:54 Updated: 20:30

Globally recognised for having the best drivers in the world, Formula 1 is truly the pinnacle of motorsport.

Characterised by cutting-edge technology, engineering, and innovation, F1 cars are some of the most advanced machinery in the world, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in terms of speed, aerodynamics, and performance.

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The innovation in the sport also extends beyond just the cars, with the development of racing tyres also crucial.

Currently, tyres in F1 are designed and manufactured for optimum racing performance by Pirelli - the sport's exclusive tyre provider.

And, with F1 hitting the streets in Nevada for the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, we thought we'd examine the rubber currently used in the sport.

Pirelli have been F1's exclusive tyre provider since 2011

What tyre compounds do Pirelli make for F1?

In 2024, Pirelli supplies five compounds of dry tyres to F1 - C1 (hardest) through to C5 (softest). Crucially, though, on any given race weekend, only three compounds of the dry tyres are made available.

For example, on one race weekend, the dry tyres available may be C1 to C3. In that scenario, the C1 tyre would be the 'hard', the C2 the 'medium' and the C3 the 'soft'.

Lando Norris using Pirelli's blue-walled wet tyre in Brazil

Yet, on another race weekend, at a track with different characteristics, the tyres Pirelli elect to use may be C3 to C5. In that scenario, despite having been the 'soft' tyre at another track, the C3 would then be the 'hard', with the C4 and C5 then the 'medium' and 'soft' respectively.

On top of the five dry compounds, Pirelli also manufactures intermediate and wet tyres so that F1 can continue to race when the heavens open and in challenging conditions.

At this weekend's Las Vegas GP, on top of the wet and intermediate tyres being available, Pirelli's range runs from C3 (Hard) to C5 (Soft).

What colour are Pirelli tyre compounds?

Soft - Red
Medium - Yellow
Hard - White
Intermediate - Green
Wet - Blue

How much do F1 tyres cost?

The price of tyres in road cars can vary massively, but generally, most cars will be in and around the £50-£150 mark for a single tyre, depending on your budget. However, F1 tyres cost far more than this.

According to Motorsport Magazine, Head of Pirelli Motorsport Mario Isola confirmed that each tyre costs €600. Translated to GBP and USD, this figure would be approximately £500 and $625.

Using those figures, a set of four F1 tyres would cost an estimated £2000 ($2500).

Carlos Sainz using Pirelli's white-walled hard tyre

This number then reaches a staggering figure when you account for the fact that F1 teams have 13 sets of tyres at their disposal for the Las Vegas GP this weekend, for example. This means that the tyres for one car, at this and every other race weekend over the season, cost roughly £26,000 ($32,500).

That means that one team must fork out approximately £52,000 ($65,000) on tyres for both of their cars for each round of the campaign.

Translating this figure across the 2024 season, which has 24 rounds, this means that a single F1 team could be spending as much as £1.24 million ($1.55 million) on rubber.

Given there are ten F1 teams, this means that in total, roughly £12.4 million ($15.5 million) is spent on tyres in the sport, per season across the grid.

How much do F1 tyre blankets cost?

Another key tyre-related spend in F1 lies with tyre blankets, which play a crucial role throughout the season.

For racing tyres to work as they should and provide the necessary grip to drivers, they must be heated to an optimum temperature. This is why you might see drivers weaving on a formation lap, attempting to get heat into their rubber for the most grip off the line.

Tyre blankets were first used in F1 in the 1970s, but now, the technology inside them is far more advanced, with teams using them to pre-heat tyres as close to their optimal temperatures as possible before being fitted to their cars.

In theory, this makes it easier for the driver to get them to the temperature they need to be at once they are out on the track.

It all comes at a huge cost, though, with it estimated that tyre blankets cost £22,000 ($27,544) per car, per weekend in total. That would mean a £44,000 ($55,089) spend for a single team across the Las Vegas GP weekend.

Across the 24-round season, this means that a single F1 team is reportedly spending over £1 million on pre-heating their rubber.

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