F1 Tyre Strategy Simulator

How to Use the Tyre Strategy Simulator

Our tyre strategy simulator lets you plan the perfect race strategy for a 50-lap Grand Prix. Experience realistic tyre degradation, pit stop penalties, and strategic decision-making just like a real F1 race engineer. Experiment with different compounds and stint lengths to find the fastest strategy.

Creating Your Strategy

• Select a Compound: Click on Soft (🔴), Medium (🟡), or Hard (🟤) in the tyre palette
• Draw a Stint: Click and drag across the lap grid to place your selected compound
• Resize Stints: Hover over a stint and drag the edges to extend or shorten it
• Delete Stints: Click the × button that appears when hovering over a stint
• Clear All: Start fresh by clicking the "Clear All" button

Understanding Tyre Degradation

Each compound has different performance characteristics that affect your race time:

• Soft (🔴): Fastest initially but degrades quickly (+0.08s per lap^1.05). Great for short stints or qualifying-style runs
• Medium (🟡): Balanced performance with moderate degradation (+0.05s per lap^1.07). The versatile choice for most strategies
• Hard (🟤): Slowest but most durable (+0.03s per lap^1.10). Perfect for long stints and one-stop strategies

Strategic Considerations

• Pit Stop Penalty: Each pit stop costs 22 seconds. More stops = more time lost
• Tyre Life: Running tyres too long hurts lap times more than the pit stop penalty
• Compound Choice: Softs are fast but require more pit stops. Hards are slower but need fewer stops
• Track Position: Your finishing position is determined by total race time including pit stops
• AI Competition: 5 AI opponents with different strategies and skill levels compete against you

Real-Time Statistics

As you build your strategy, the simulator calculates four key metrics:

• Total Race Time: Complete race duration including all pit stops
• Finishing Position: Where you finish versus the AI opponents (P1-P6)
• Average Lap Time: Mean lap time across all 50 laps
• Fastest Lap Time: Your quickest single lap (usually early in a stint on fresh tyres)

AI Opponents

Five AI drivers compete against you with randomized strategies:

• Each AI has different base pace (±3% speed variation)
• Strategies vary from aggressive (multiple stops) to conservative (one-stop)
• AI opponents use random compound combinations
• Your goal: beat them all to finish P1!

Strategy Tips

One-Stop Strategy

Start on mediums for 25-30 laps, pit, then finish on hards. Conservative but reliable. Fewer variables to manage.

Two-Stop Strategy

Soft → Medium → Hard or Medium → Soft → Medium. More aggressive with fresher tyres throughout. Higher risk if pit stops are slow.

Three-Stop Strategy

Multiple short stints on soft tyres. Fastest lap times but most time lost in pits. Only works if you can make up 66 seconds (3 × 22s) through faster laps.

Undercut Strategy

Pit earlier than expected to gain track position with fresher tyres. Try pitting on lap 12-15 to "undercut" opponents who pit on lap 20.

FAQ

How realistic is the tyre degradation model?

The simulator uses exponential degradation curves based on real F1 data. Soft tyres degrade fastest, hards slowest. The base lap time of 95 seconds represents a typical medium-speed circuit like Barcelona or Silverstone.

Can I create a no-stop strategy?

Yes! Place one stint across all 50 laps. Hard tyres work best for this. However, the extreme degradation in the final laps will likely make you slower than strategies with pit stops.

Why did my position change when I added a stint?

Your total race time recalculates instantly. Adding stints (pit stops) costs time but gives you fresher tyres. The AI opponents have fixed strategies, so your position changes as your strategy improves or worsens.

What happens if I don't complete all 50 laps?

If your stints don't cover all 50 laps, you'll show as DNF (Did Not Finish) and be ranked last in the results.

Can I see the AI opponents' strategies?

Yes! In the Race Results section, each opponent shows their compound sequence using tyre emojis (🔴🟡🟤). This helps you understand why they finished where they did.

Does the simulator work on mobile?

Absolutely! The entire interface is optimized for touch screens. Tap to select compounds and drag across the grid to create stints.