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Tires are very important in Formula 1, as knowing how to manage them well can mean the difference between winning and losing a race. Therefore, it is key to understand the behavior of the tires and how they evolve. Have you ever wondered what graining and blistering are?
The terms graining and blistering are used in F1 to refer to tire wear. Graining is when strips of rubber that have come off the wheel re-attach, creating an irregular surface. On the other hand, blistering is when the tire overheats and wears out, creating blisters on the surface.
Graining and blistering are two elements that drivers are very aware of throughout the race, on which race strategy depends to a large extent. Many factors can cause them, and there are also methods to avoid them, so let\’s take a closer look.
What Is Graining In F1?
Graining occurs when rubber strips from a tire become detached, and as the tire rotates, these strips reattach to the hot surface.
The cold in the body of the tire and the heat in the tread, which is the part that is in contact with the asphalt, causes the rubber to detach from the tire so that when the tire is stepped on it sticks to the tread, generating a surface that is no longer smooth but has irregularities.
This causes loss of grip and usually appears on the front tires, as the rear tires are easier to heat up, so there is not as much temperature difference between the tire body and the tread, and therefore, it is more difficult for graining to appear.
How Can Graining Be Avoided In F1?
Graining can be avoided by warming up the tires properly. Therefore, it is very important to warm up the tires well on the formation lap or when there is a Safety Car, as this will prevent graining to a great extent.
The good thing about graining is that it can be eliminated. This is because the tire wears down over the course of the laps, so fewer and fewer strips of rubber come off, and the surface of the tire becomes uniform again.
Visually, we can identify graining because of a darker stripe on the tire and because of the car\’s tendency to understeer, as the front tires do not perform as well. To avoid graining, it is necessary to lift and coast in high-speed corners so that the tires do not suffer so much.
What Is Blistering In F1?
Blistering is a type of degradation that affects the inside of tires, causing them to overheat. When the inside of the tire is hotter than the outside, small air pockets are generated which, when they explode, cause the rubber to separate from the casing, forming blisters that break the tread.
As with graining, blistering causes loss of grip, although it is more dramatic on the rear tires. When blistering occurs, drivers feel the need to anticipate their pit stop to change their set of tires, as a great deal of time is lost with tires in these conditions.
How Can Blistering Be Avoided In F1?
Unlike graining, once blistering occurs, it cannot be cleaned up but only gets worse and worse.
Blistering occurs when the tire temperature or pressure is too high. As in these cases, the tire\’s contact patch with the asphalt decreases, and all the energy is concentrated in a smaller point, i.e., in the center, which overheats.
The larger the surface area, which is when the tire has the correct temperature and pressure, the more evenly the temperature is distributed. Blistering can also be caused by an overly aggressive driving style, especially when accelerating and skidding the rear tires, as they will suffer more from overheating.
As we have mentioned, the rear tires are the ones that suffer the most from blistering, but the front tires are not exempt from this problem. The front tires have a camber angle, i.e., slightly inclined inward. Teams can adjust the camber angle according to the characteristics and needs of the car.
If a team uses a very aggressive camber angle on the front wheels, it will cause less surface area of the outer tire to be in contact with the asphalt, so it will overheat more easily, resulting in blistering.
Why Do F1 Tires Wear So Quickly?
Unlike road cars, which are built to last a long time, Formula 1 cars are designed for maximum performance. This means that performance is prioritized over longevity, so all the elements of an F1 car work under extreme conditions, which causes them to wear out very quickly.
Tires are one of those elements that work in extreme conditions, supporting high speeds and very high temperatures. Each team receives 13 sets of tires for use during the weekend, and each tire goes through different stages during its use until they wear out and are replaced by new ones.
The mechanical activity and temperatures to which the tread rubber is exposed during a race are similar to those experienced during the manufacturing process, causing it to be modified similarly, but this time undergoing the reverse effect.
As a result, Formula 1 tires only last between 60 and 120 km, compared to the 15,000 km that street car tires can last.
At What Temperature Do F1 Tires Work?
As you may have noticed, the temperature is the key to proper tire performance. If the tires are at a lower temperature than optimal, it is like driving on ice, as they will be very slippery. That is why it is very important, as we said before, to bring the tires to temperature before each session, on the formation lap, and during the safety car periods.
The temperature of a tire depends on many factors, such as ambient and asphalt temperatures, the type of asphalt (the rougher the surface, the easier it is to heat them, and the smoother the more difficult), the characteristics of the circuit, the configuration of the car and the driver\’s driving style.
Pirelli, the F1 tire supplier, has 5 different compounds, which differ in terms of hardness. The harder tires last longer but are somewhat slower, while the softer tires wear faster but offer faster lap times.
Each type of tire has an optimum working temperature. Harder tires work between 110 and 140º, while softer tires work between 85 and 115º. When operating at higher or lower temperatures, they do not work properly, as they have to heat up evenly to avoid blistering or graining.
What Are Tire Blankets Used For In F1?
Tire blankets have been used for decades in Formula 1. They are used to help keep the tires at the correct temperature before each session and are actually quite useful. It is common to see them placed over the tires in the garages or on the starting grid before the race as teams rush to the last minute to remove them.
However, they are always a major debate as far as pit procedures are concerned, with more and more categories not using them due to the high cost and energy consumption required to preheat the tires.
The FIA has been trying to limit the use of tire blankets for the past few years, but without much success, as the teams are fiercely opposed to this limitation. However, some progress has been made.
In 2022, the number of blankets per team has been reduced from 40 to just 20. Similarly, the maximum tire heating using the blankets has been reduced from 194 to 158 degrees and is expected to drop to 122 by 2023 before a full ban in 2024.
How Do F1 Drivers Manage Their Tires?
Tire wear depends, as we have seen before, on many factors. One of the most important is the driving style of each driver, as more aggressive driving will cause the tires to wear out much sooner.
The most important thing to take care of the tires is to be careful and not make any mistakes. A single lockout or tire spin will heat up the tire\’s surface and cause it to wear to a great extent so that all the previous tire management will be in vain.
The most important thing to take care of the rear tires is to be very careful and gentle with the throttle. This translates into braking a little earlier and exiting corners more carefully, with slightly less throttle. Fast corners are among the most critical, as it is easier to slip the car\’s rear, so you have to be even smoother in them.
Similarly, to preserve the front tires, the most important thing is to be very gentle with the steering wheel, i.e., do not make unnecessary turns or move it sharply. Also, be very cautious with the brakes, as the front tires are the most prone to lock up. All these measures help slightly to conserve the tires better, but as the laps go by, you will notice the gains.
Which F1 Drivers Are The Best At Managing Tires?
The best driver on the grid in tire management is Mexico\’s Sergio \”Checo\” Perez. Perez has run long stints on Sundays with great pace through so many different cars. The Mexican brakes and turns were early to get a better and smoother corner exit and also squares out his line in the slow corners, making up a strong start.
There have been occasions when the Mexican has made an early stop and held on for the rest of the race on the same tires, as he did in his first F1 victory at the 2020 Shakir GP, where he stopped on the second lap due to an incident and did not make another pit for the rest of the race, overtaking the entire grid.
Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton are also two drivers who are very good at tire management. The German and the Englishman have proven far superior to their teammates in this aspect and have won many races because of it. Tire care is a skill that the German has gained with experience, as during his early years, he was not so good at it.
Other drivers who have also made good performances taking care of the tires have been Lance Stroll and Alexander Albon. The Thai driver extended his pit stop during the 2022 Australian GP until the last lap, and he stopped because it was mandatory. Otherwise, he would have continued to the end and with a good pace.
How Many Pit Stops Are Made In F1 Races?
Formula 1 drivers pit stop to change tires and the front wing if damaged. Pit stops are crucial in every race, as a good strategy and/or pit stop can make you win, while a bad strategy and/or pit stop can doom your race.
The number of pit stops depends on how much the tire degrades at a specific circuit and time, so it varies depending on each Grand Prix and each weather condition. However, drivers normally pit to change tires 1 or 2 times per race.
Teams and engineers set a strategy for each race, although this can be modified as the laps go by depending on how the race evolves. On many occasions, when a Safety Car or a Virtual Safety Car comes out, the drivers stop in the pits to make a \”free\” pit stop since the race is neutralized; therefore, they do not lose time.

Conclusion
Graining and blistering are terms used to refer to different types of tire degradation. Graining occurs when strips of rubber from a tire become detached, and as the tire rotates, these strips reattach to the hot surface, while blistering is caused by the difference in temperature between the inside and outside of the tire, causing blisters that break the tread.
In Formula 1, tire care is one of the most important elements in terms of race strategy, and it greatly affects the results of each driver.
Sources
- https://www.presticebdt.com/what-is-graining-and-blistering/
- https://www.mclaren.com/racing/f1-playbook/graining/
- https://es.motorsport.com/f1/news/blistering-neumaticos-que-es-causas-degradacion/4307603/#gal-4307603-m0-lewis-hamilton-mercedes-amg-f1-w09-con-ampollas-en-los-neumaticos
- https://f1chronicle.com/why-do-formula-1-tyres-wear-so-quickly/
- https://www.caranddriver.com/es/formula-1/a29440432/formula-1-seguira-usando-mantas-calentadoras-neumaticos/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmfN_F2LPQs&t=388s