Pirelli explains six tyre compounds for 2023 F1 season as first selections revealed

Pirelli has unveiled the six tyre compounds available for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

With new tyre compounds softer than available last year, Pirelli will maintain a hard tyre from 2022 on tracks requiring "the most energy out of the tyres."

This tyre will be numbered as "C0", with the five options for 2023 labelled "C1" to "C5" from hardest to softest.

The tyre manufacturer has also released the tyre selections available for the first three Grands Prix of the 2023 season.

Teams will be allocated C1-C3 tyres, the three hardest of the 2023 compounds, for the Bahrain Grand Prix, with the C2-C4 range in use in Saudi Arabia and Australia.

The 2023 Formula One World Championship begins 3-5 March in Bahrain.

2023 Formula One World Championship - Tyre Compounds Explained

C0 - Compound 0

Last year’s C1 tyre has become the C0 for 2023. This is the hardest tyre in the range, which will be nominated for the circuits that take the most energy out of the tyres. It’s designed to provide maximum resistance to heat and extreme forces, being capable of running very long stints, but this comes at the expense of peak performance. (Pirelli)

C1 - Compound 1

This new-for-2023 compound slots in between last year’s C1 and C2. Based on the latter, it was created to reduce the performance gap between what had previously been the two hardest compounds in the range. (Pirelli)

C2 - Compound 2

The third-hardest compound remains very suited to the faster, hotter and more abrasive circuits. The harder compounds are sometimes nominated for new circuits, providing a conservative selection so that tyre loads can be verified in real-world race conditions for the first time. (Pirelli)

C3 - Compound 3

This compound is extremely versatile and can be used as either the hardest, the middle or the softest of any three-compound selection. With an excellent balance between performance and durability, this is well-suited to a wide range of conditions. (Pirelli)

C4 - Compound 4

This compound is designated to work well on low-severity circuits, where quite a quick warm up is required in order to reach peak performance as soon as possible. This tyre is used extensively throughout the season. (Pirelli)

C5 - Compound 5

These are very softest tyres in the range, designed for the slowest circuits with low wear and degradation where maximum mechanical grip is required from the rubber. These are normally seen at street circuits or where the asphalt is exceptionally smooth. (Pirelli)