Tyre Degradation
VerifiedHow a tyre loses grip and pace as a stint goes on, the core driver of race strategy.
As a tyre runs, heat and wear gradually reduce the grip it can deliver, so lap times creep up over a stint. This loss is 'degradation', or 'deg'. Softer compounds are faster when fresh but degrade quicker; harder compounds give up outright pace for longer life.
Deg isn't linear or identical for every car. Track surface, temperature, fuel load and how a driver manages the tyre all change the rate. Teams measure it in practice long runs to estimate how many laps a set stays competitive.