Tyres are the main point of contact between your car and the road surface. As a result, they play a vital role in how the car handles, brakes and accelerates. Although they may appear similar in appearance, road and competition tyres from brands including Pirelli, Toyo and Hankook are designed with very different requirements in mind. Road tyres offer reasonable grip in all conditions while keeping road noise to a minimum but competition tyres offer no compromise in the pursuit of grip and performance.

Track tyres can be defined by three types of tread pattern. Slick (or dry weather) tyres, wet weather tyres and all-rounders. Both the slick and wet options offer the best amount of grip in either dry or wet weather conditions, but will not work as well when faced with the opposite conditions. All-round performance tyres from the likes of Yokohama and Nankang can be used effectively in any conditions and are often used as control tyres for particular championships. All three of these tyre types are usually offered in a range of compounds ranging from soft to hard. Softer tyres offer a higher level of grip at the cost of tyre life and are particularly effective in cold conditions. Harder tyres offer less grip but better longevity and are particularly useful at circuits with higher levels of abrasion.