F125 tire pressure settings guide
Learn about F125 tire pressure settings guide
Updated October 26, 2025
If you’re new to F1 25, the tire pressure sliders can feel like magic knobs that randomly make your car snap, understeer, or overheat. That frustration is normal. In F1 25, small PSI changes affect heat, grip, and straight‑line speed. This F125 tire pressure settings guide shows you, step by step, how to set pressures that are fast and stable.
Quick Answer
Lower pressures cool the tires and add traction/mechanical grip but cost a bit of straight‑line speed. Higher pressures feel sharper and reduce drag but heat up quicker and can slide. Start near the middle, adjust in 0.2–0.4 PSI steps to keep temps in the target window, and bias rears slightly lower for traction.
Why F125 tire pressure settings guide Feels So Hard at First
- A change as small as 0.2–0.4 PSI can shift tire temperatures and your balance noticeably.
- Temperatures vary with fuel, track temp, compound, and driving style, so what worked in Time Trial might overheat in a race.
- Parc Fermé rules can lock your setup, so it’s easy to “lose” changes if you didn’t save them before qualifying ends.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know what tire pressure actually does in F1 25, how to set a reliable baseline for any track, and how to troubleshoot overheating or lack of grip.
What F125 tire pressure settings guide Actually Means in F1 25
In simple terms:
- Tire pressure = how inflated the tire is (shown in PSI). You can set each tire individually (Front Left/Right, Rear Left/Right).
- Lower pressure
- Pros: bigger contact patch, more traction and curb compliance, cooler temps, better long‑run consistency.
- Cons: slightly slower on straights, a touch softer response.
- Higher pressure
- Pros: sharper turn-in feel, less rolling resistance (more top speed), quicker to warm.
- Cons: overheats easier, smaller contact patch, can feel edgy and slide more.
Front vs rear tuning:
- Raise front pressure or lower rear pressure = more oversteer potential (sharper front, looser rear).
- Lower front pressure or raise rear pressure = more understeer potential (grippier front, planted rear).
Temperature targets (typical, may vary by patch/compound):
- Slicks: roughly 90–100°C race window (seeing brief peaks slightly above is okay).
- Intermediates/Wets: a bit lower; they prefer cooler ranges and steady, not spiky, temps.
Before You Start (Prerequisites)
- Hardware: Works with both controller and wheel. Controller players often prefer slightly lower rear pressures for traction.
- Mode:
- Time Trial for consistent conditions and quick testing.
- Grand Prix/Career Practice for race‑relevant data.
- Remember: Parc Fermé locks pressures for Qualifying and Race after qualifying starts (in modes with the rule enabled).
- Menus you’ll use:
- In the garage: Car Setup > Tyres (adjust pressures).
- In‑session data: MFD > Tyres to watch temps and wear.
- Saving: Car Setup > Save Setup (name it for track/conditions).
Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve F125 tire pressure settings guide
- Pick a consistent testing session
- Use Time Trial for a clean baseline, or Practice with fixed weather.
- Fit the compound you’ll race (e.g., Mediums for race prep).
- Set a safe baseline
- Open Car Setup > Tyres.
- Start near the middle of each slider.
- Make the rears very slightly lower than the fronts to help traction (e.g., 0.2 PSI lower).
- Run a short test
- Do an out‑lap, then 3 push laps at normal pace.
- Avoid drifting/sliding; drive how you intend to race.
- Check temperatures and balance
- Open MFD > Tyres on the straights.
- If a tire axle (front or rear) is regularly above the comfortable window (e.g., > ~100–102°C), it’s running hot.
- If temps struggle to reach the window (e.g., mid‑80s) and the car feels numb, they’re too cold.
- Adjust in small steps
- Overheating fronts: lower front pressures by 0.2–0.4 PSI. If still hot, try another 0.2 PSI.
- Overheating rears: lower rear pressures by 0.2–0.4 PSI.
- Too cold/sluggish: raise that axle by 0.2–0.4 PSI.
- Understeer: lower front 0.2–0.4 PSI, or raise rear 0.1–0.2 PSI.
- Oversteer: raise front 0.1–0.2 PSI, or lower rear 0.2–0.4 PSI.
- Re-test and confirm
- Repeat Step 3 after each change. Aim for steady temps in the target window across the lap, not just one corner.
- You should now feel steadier grip and see temps stabilizing by lap 2–3.
- Track and weather fine‑tuning
- Hot tracks/long corners: start a touch lower.
- Cold tracks/hard compounds: start a touch higher.
- High‑speed/low downforce tracks: slightly higher overall can help straight‑line speed—but watch temps.
- Wet/Inter: slightly higher to build heat more easily, but avoid making them edgy.
- Save variants
- Use Car Setup > Save Setup and name sets like “TrackName – Dry Race,” “Dry Qualy,” “Inter,” “Wet.”
- Race‑day adjustment
- Heavy fuel runs hotter. If you overheated in practice with long runs, lower race pressures 0.2–0.4 PSI vs your qualy set.
- In traffic (dirty air), fronts can cool less and rears can overheat on traction—bias your choice toward stability.
Common Mistakes and Myths About F125 tire pressure settings guide
- “Just copy a meta setup.” Track temps, driving style, and assists change what works. Use metas as a starting point, not gospel.
- Maxing or minning the sliders. Extremes often overheat or ruin balance, especially on a controller.
- Changing too much at once. Adjust one axle at a time in 0.2–0.4 PSI steps.
- Ignoring left/right differences. On clockwise tracks with many right‑handers, the left tires work harder—consider 0.1–0.2 PSI lower on the hotter side.
- Using pressures to fix driving errors. Sliding or late turn‑in can be technique or aero/suspension too—pressures can’t mask that fully.
- Forgetting Parc Fermé. If your changes “don’t stick,” you may be in a locked session.
Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”
My rears overheat after two laps.
- Likely cause: too high rear pressures or too much wheelspin.
- Fix: lower rear pressures 0.2–0.4 PSI; short‑shift out of slow corners; consider a touch less on‑throttle diff.
I’m slow on the straights but stable in corners.
- Likely cause: pressures too low causing extra drag.
- Fix: raise all four 0.2–0.4 PSI (or start with fronts). Re-check temps don’t spike.
Fronts are ice‑cold and I can’t rotate the car.
- Likely cause: pressures too low or very conservative driving.
- Fix: raise front 0.2–0.4 PSI; increase corner entry speed gradually.
The car is snappy over kerbs/bumps.
- Likely cause: pressures too high reducing compliance.
- Fix: lower that axle 0.2–0.4 PSI; avoid aggressive kerb strikes.
The setup didn’t apply when I went to track.
- Likely cause: didn’t save or Parc Fermé is active.
- Fix: in the garage, open Car Setup, press Save Setup, then load it before sessions where changes are locked.
Wet pace is awful and tires never heat up.
- Likely cause: pressures too low for the compound and conditions.
- Fix: raise pressures 0.2–0.6 PSI; be smooth on throttle/brake to build gradual heat.
Note:
- Don’t make left/right differences bigger than ~0.4 PSI unless you have a specific reason—large asymmetry can cause unpredictable behavior.
- Don’t chase a single sector with extreme pressures; solve the whole lap.
Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable
- Log your data: write down ambient/track temp, compound, your pressures, and average temps by lap 3. Patterns emerge quickly.
- Controller players: prioritize rear traction—keep rears slightly lower than fronts and avoid sharp increases that make the rear edgy.
- Wheel players: a tiny front increase can improve feel on entry; offset with careful diff/brake bias to avoid oversteer spikes.
- Stint planning: qualy sets can be 0.2–0.4 PSI higher for snap response; race sets trend lower for consistency and heat control.
- Combine with alignment: if you’re still overheating an axle, consider slightly less aggressive camber/toe before pushing pressures further.
How to Know It’s Working (Definition of Done)
- Tire temps stabilize within the target window by lap 2–3 and stay consistent through a 5–8 lap run.
- Balance feels predictable: no sudden mid‑corner snaps or terminal push as the stint goes on.
- Straight‑line speed doesn’t feel “draggy,” and traction out of slow corners is manageable.
- Lap times are consistent within a couple tenths across the run.
Next Steps and Related Guides
Now that your F125 tire pressure settings guide is dialed in, the next big gains usually come from:
- F125 camber and toe explained
- F125 differential and traction setup
- F125 race tire management (saving your tires over a stint)
These will help you lock in balance and tire life to match your new pressure baseline.
