F1 Explained: What are the different tyre compounds? Why are there so many?

The 2018 Formula 1 season features plenty of new regulations and rules. One thing to get your head around is the tyre compounds, with no fewer than seven (!) slick options available to teams this year. So what are the different types? And why so many? We answer here...

WHAT ARE THE COMPOUNDS?

As ever, Pirelli will bring wet and intermediate tyres to every race, just in case.

But the slick tyres have been the ones in the headlines, with Pirelli able to choose from seven compounds this year.

The range is: superhard, hard, medium, soft, supersoft, ultrasoft and hypersoft.

Here's our 2018 #Fit4F1 tyre-spotting guide! https://t.co/GkK0BDxMtm pic.twitter.com/nW8mbMPPq4 — Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) November 23, 2017

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY?

The different characteristics of different tracks can affect tyre degradation in different ways. For many years, F1 have tried to make races more exciting by forcing teams to be more strategic over their tyre use. The different compounds allow F1 to manufacture greater on-track uncertainty, which - in theory - leads to more exciting races.

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2018?

The hypersoft and superhard compounds are new names for 2018, but it is actually the ultrasoft and hypersofts which are brand new. Each compound is one step softer than it was in 2017. So last year's ultrasoft is now supersoft and the superhard is last year's hard compound.

#F1Explained : We've got a full @pirellisport rainbow of @F1 tyres for 2018. But how much will the new selection affect racing? We asked the experts! ???? pic.twitter.com/qdTPtM71q0 — Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) February 16, 2018

HOW MANY CAN YOU USE IN A RACE?

As before, Pirelli will assign three compounds to each race weekend. Teams will have to run at least two compounds in the race, with one grade assigned as mandatory.

HOW MUST FASTER DO TYRES MAKE THE CARS?

Handily, Pirelli have revealed exactly how much time teams can expect to gain by strapping on softer tyres in 2018.

Mediums to softs: 0.8 seconds
Softs to supersofts: 0.4 seconds
Supersofts to ultrasofts: 0.6 seconds
Ultrasofts to Hypersofts: 0.7/0.8 seconds

WILL NEW TYRES MEAN NEW RECORDS?

It looks like it! Four teams in pre-season put in lap times never before seen at the Circuit de Catalunya. The Barcelona track has been resurfaced, which also contributed to the fast times, but Vettel's best was more than a second quicker than Felipe Massa's record which had stood for over 10 years, before Daniel Ricciardo got the record-breaking started.