What happens to F1 tires after a Grand Prix is over?

F1 tires are extremely costly.

What happens to F1 tires after a Grand Prix is over?

Formula One tires

Formula One tires are produced by mixing natural rubber, synthetic rubber and other artificial fibres. F1 tires are filled with dry nitrogen gas. Each tire compound is vastly different from the others owing to specific criteria for their production. Every tire undergoes stringent examination before it is allowed to be put on a car. The tires are visually assessed, X-ray scanned and weighed to ensure quality.

Pirelli is the current supplier of tires for Formula One. Although Pirelli has been involved with F1 since the first championship Grand Prix in 1950, it only became the exclusive tire partner in 2011. The Italian tire manufacturer’s contract is valid till the end of 2024. Pirelli’s offering of rubber ranges from C1 (hardest compound) to C5(softest compound). Pirelli brings 3 dry weather compounds to each race.

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Formula One tires cost north of $2700 per set. Each driver is given 13 sets of ‘slick’ tires for a Grand Prix weekend. In a season with 21 races, teams spend nearly $5.5 Million per driver on tires alone. Although not each set is used up completely. Fans often wonder what happens to the tires that either are not used up to completion or remain downright unused.

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How are F1 tires reused?

Pirelli tires on a F1 car
Pirelli tires on a F1 car

According to Pirelli, the tires are dubbed to be ‘used’ once the rubber is attached to the rims. Even if a tire remains untouched, it cannot be removed from the rims due to safety concerns. After the end of a Grand Prix, F1 tires are “ecologically disposed” or re-cycled. Used sets are crushed on-site and transported to Oxfordshire, UK in shipping containers.

The tires are then melted at very high temperatures and are used for energy generation. Owing to the astronomical temperatures, the rubber does not produce harmful gases upon incineration.

During the cancelled 2020 Australian Grand Prix, 1800 tires were made redundant. The tires were installed to the rims on Thursday, before the cancellation of the race on Friday. Notably, due to their prior fitting, the fresh sets of tires had to be incinerated. While the process may seem wasteful, it is presently the most efficient way of recycling used tires.

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