best tire compound for long runs in F125

Learn about best tire compound for long runs in F125

Updated October 25, 2025

If you’re new to F1 25, picking the best tire compound for long runs in F125 can feel like guesswork. You’re not alone—many players struggle with tires overheating, wearing out too early, or feeling great for 3 laps and terrible for 10. That happens because F1 25 models tire wear, temperature, and grip dynamically. This guide will show you exactly how to choose the right compound for your stint and manage it lap by lap.

Quick Answer

For most dry long runs in F1 25, use Mediums for balanced pace and life; switch to Hards on abrasive tracks, high temperatures, or if you struggle with wear and overheating. Softs are rarely the best for long stints. In the wet, Intermediates beat Wets unless there’s heavy standing water. Test in Practice, watch tire temps, and plan to pit before 70–75% wear.

Why best tire compound for long runs in F125 Feels So Hard at First

You’re juggling three dry compounds (Soft/Medium/Hard), each reacting differently to heat, fuel load, and driving style.
The car is heavy early in the race, which punishes the rears, and track grip builds over time—so one compound won’t always be “best” everywhere.

By the end of this guide you’ll know which tire type to start on, when to change, and how to validate your choice on any track.

What best tire compound for long runs in F125 Actually Means in F1 25

“Best” depends on your track’s abrasion, weather, stint length, and your driving.
Role of each dry compound:
- Soft (red): Fastest initially, overheats and wears quickest. Great for qualifying and short sprints, rarely best for long runs.
- Medium (yellow): The default “race tire.” Strong balance of pace, warm-up, and life—often best for long runs on most tracks.
- Hard (white): Most durable, slower to warm up, best for hot/abrasive circuits or when you struggle with rear degradation.
Wet compounds:
- Intermediates (green): Best when there’s a clear wet line but not heavy standing water—often the longest usable wet tire.
- Wets (blue): Only for heavy rain with standing water; they’ll quickly overheat as conditions improve.

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

Hardware: Controller or wheel—either is fine.
Game version/mode: Latest F1 25 patch. Use Grand Prix, Career/My Team, or Practice within a race weekend. Avoid Time Trial for tire testing (no tire wear there).
Menus you’ll use:
- Garage > Car Setup > Tyres (pressures) and Aerodynamics/Suspension (for stability).
- Practice Programs: Tyre Management and Race Strategy.
- MFD (Multi-Function Display) > Tyres (on-track: shows temps and wear %).
- Pause > Strategy (pre-race and during Safety Cars).
- MFD > Differential and ERS (to reduce wheelspin that burns tires).

Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve best tire compound for long runs in F125

Pick your testing session

Open Grand Prix (or your Career weekend) on the target track.
Enable at least one Practice session. Set a predicted Race Length (25% or 50% is enough to learn).

Set a realistic baseline

In the Garage, load your preferred setup or the default.
Go to Car Setup > Tyres and start with default pressures. We’ll adjust later if temps spike.
Fill enough fuel for a 6–10 lap run to mimic race weight.

Run the Tyre Management program on Mediums

Select the Tyre Management practice program. Follow its pace target.
While driving, open MFD > Tyres:
- Check temps (aim for green; blue = cold, red = hot).
- Note wear % each lap.
After 6–10 laps, note:
- Average lap time.
- Average wear per lap (difference in % divided by laps).
- Whether temps stayed stable or overheated.

Repeat on Hards (and optionally Softs)

Use the same number of laps and fuel for consistency.
Collect the same data (average time + wear and temperature behavior).

Decide the compound using stint math (simple version)

Target pitting before 70–75% wear to avoid puncture risk. Don’t push beyond ~80%.
Compare average wear/lap:
- If Mediums wear too quickly (overheat or exceed ~3–4%/lap in a 25% race), Hards are safer for the long run.
- If Hards are much slower and you can keep Mediums cool, Mediums are usually faster over the stint.

Lock your race strategy

Open Pause > Strategy before the race:
- For 25% races: Often M → S or H → M, depending on wear. For long runs, M or H are your main tires.
- For 50% races: Typically M/H mix. Avoid long Soft stints unless safety car timing helps.
- For 100% races: H for the longest stints; M for pace-sensitive stints.
In dry races (25% length or more), you must use at least two different dry compounds.

Drive to protect the compound you picked

Keep tires in the green temp band on the MFD > Tyres page.
Smooth inputs:
- Short-shift out of slow corners.
- Gentle throttle and trail braking to avoid sliding.
- Avoid aggressive kerbs that spike temps.
Use ERS Overtake mostly on straights; heavy deployment in traction zones can overheat rears.
If temps go red, back off for a few corners and reduce sliding. Consider lowering on-throttle Differential via the MFD for traction.

You should now see your average pace stabilizing, temps staying mostly green, and predicted stint lengths matching your plan.

Common Mistakes and Myths About best tire compound for long runs in F125

“Softs are fine if I manage them” — On most tracks they’ll still overheat and fade on long runs.
Testing in Time Trial — There’s no wear; it won’t teach you long-run behavior.
Copying real F1 TV strategies — Track temps, AI difficulty, and the game’s wear model can differ from real-life.
Ignoring temperatures — Overheating is the fastest route to high wear. Lower a click or two of tire pressure if you routinely see red temps.
Pitting at 80–90% wear — That risks punctures. Plan to box before 70–75%.
Running max tire pressures for straight-line speed — It usually cooks your tires on race fuel.

Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”

My Mediums overheat after 3–4 laps
- Likely cause: Pressures too high or too much sliding.
- Fixes:
  - In Car Setup > Tyres, reduce pressures 1–2 clicks.
  - Lower on-throttle Differential in the MFD to reduce wheelspin.
  - Softer rear suspension or slightly higher rear wing can help traction.
Hards feel like ice and never switch on
- Likely cause: Not generating temperature or pushing too gently.
- Fixes:
  - Push a bit on the out-lap with firm but clean inputs.
  - Use a touch more negative camber or toe-in (modestly) if your setup allows.
  - Consider Mediums if the track is low-deg or temps are cool.
Intermediates are shredding in the wet
- Likely cause: Track is drying—Inters overheat on a drying line.
- Fixes:
  - Move to slicks (Soft/Medium) once the track shows a clear dry line and your delta improves.
  - Reduce pace through long corners to cool the fronts.
I picked the “right” tire but still deg badly
- Likely cause: Driving style.
- Fixes:
  - Short-shift, avoid TC-off if you’re on a controller (try Traction Control: Medium).
  - Brake in a straight line more; sliding increases temps and wear.
Safety Car ruined my plan
- Tip: Open Pause > Strategy and change to a fresher compound. Pitting under SC often converts a two-stop to a one-stop (or lets you run a faster compound to the end).

Note: If changes don’t apply, make sure you confirmed the setup before leaving the garage, and adjust strategy again on the grid if needed.

Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable

Think stint time, not lap time: A Medium that’s 0.3s faster but loses 4–5 laps of life might be worse than a Hard you can keep in the window.
Undercut vs overcut: Hards warm slower—be careful undercutting onto cold Hards. If you undercut, push hard at the end of the in-lap and warm efficiently on the out-lap.
Track evolution: Later stints often allow Mediums because the track rubbers in and the car is lighter.

How to Know It’s Working (Definition of Done)

In Practice, your chosen compound:
- Maintains mostly green tire temps on MFD > Tyres after lap 3.
- Shows a consistent wear rate that lets you pit before 70–75%.
- Delivers steadier lap times (less than ~0.5s fall-off over a 6–10 lap run).
In the race, you:
- Complete stints without red temps lingering for multiple corners.
- Hit your planned pit window without panic-pitting early.

Dial in tire life further with our guide to F125 tire pressures and temperatures.
Learn how to convert tire life into race time with our F125 race strategy guide (undercuts, overcuts, Safety Cars).
Struggling with rear wear? Read our F125 traction and differential setup guide.

With this process, you’ll pick the best tire compound for long runs in F125 on any track and back it with data—not guesswork.