Tire Management

Tire Management is the skill and strategy of maximizing tire performance and lifespan during a race by controlling how quickly they wear out.

Effective tire management involves balancing aggressive driving with preservation techniques. Drivers must adapt their style—avoiding excessive wheelspin, hard braking, or aggressive cornering—to extend tire life while maintaining competitive lap times. Teams also adjust car setup and carefully time pit stops to optimize tire performance.

In many racing series, particularly Formula 1, tire management can determine race outcomes. A driver who preserves their tires might sacrifice early pace but gain a significant advantage in the later stages when competitors struggle with worn tires or are forced to make additional pit stops.