F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips

Learn about F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips

Updated October 20, 2025

New to F1 25 and not sure when to pick softs, mediums, or hards? You’re not alone. F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips are confusing because pace, tire temperature, and wear are tightly linked in this game. By the end of this guide, you’ll confidently choose the right compound and manage it lap-by-lap.

Quick Answer

Soft = fastest but shortest life; use for qualifying and short stints. Medium = balanced pace and durability; default race tire. Hard = slowest to warm and least grip, but lasts longest; great for long stints and safety car stretches. Keep tire temps in the green (roughly 90–105°C), avoid sliding, and plan your pit windows before wear hits ~70%.

Why F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips Feels So Hard at First

The game punishes sliding: every wheelspin or lock-up overheats and wears the tire, cutting grip fast.
Compounds heat and degrade at different rates, so “drive it the same” doesn’t work across soft/medium/hard.
Strategy rules (two different dry compounds in a dry race) force you to plan, not just pick the fastest tire.

Promise: You’ll learn how each compound behaves, how to warm them up, how to keep them alive, and exactly when to pit.

What F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips Actually Means in F1 25

Soft (red)
- Fastest lap time, highest grip.
- Heats quickly; also overheats easily.
- Shortest stint length; strong undercut potential.
Medium (yellow)
- Balanced pace and durability.
- Easier temperature control than softs; more grip than hards.
- Most flexible race compound.
Hard (white)
- Slowest to warm; low initial grip.
- Very stable once in the window; lowest wear.
- Best for long runs, safety car stretches, or hot/high-deg races.

Key mechanics you’ll feel:

Temperature window: Green HUD tires = good grip. Cold (blue) = understeer/spin risk. Hot (red) = sliding and rapid wear.
Wear: As wear rises, cornering and traction fall. Very high wear can cause punctures; don’t flirt with the limit.
Rules: In a dry race you must use at least two different dry compounds (soft/medium/hard). If it’s wet, this rule can be waived when using inters/wets.

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

Hardware: Works with controller or wheel. If you struggle with wheelspin/lockups, enable assists like Traction Control (Medium) and ABS (On) while learning.
Game mode: Practice in Grand Prix or Career. Time Trial uses fixed conditions (no wear), so use it only to learn lines, not tire life.
Menus you’ll use:
- Pre-race: Strategy screen (stints, pit lap, compound).
- Garage: Car Setup > Tyres (tire pressures).
- On-track: MFD > Tyres (temps/wear) and MFD > Strategy (pit this lap).
- Session setup: Tyre Allocation (Balanced / Qualifying-focused / Race-focused).

Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips

Pick the right compound for the session

Qualifying: Choose Softs. They heat quickly and give maximum grip.
Short races (5–25%): Often Soft → Medium or even Soft → Soft if rules and allocation allow.
Medium/Long races (35–100%): Plan at least two compounds. Default safe plan: Medium → Hard. Consider Soft → Medium if deg is low or temps are cool.

Success indicator: Strategy screen shows at least two different dry compounds for a dry race.

Set Tyre Allocation

In the event setup, choose Balanced unless you need extra softs for qualifying (Quali-focused) or more mediums/hards for race (Race-focused).
This governs how many sets you have available.

Success indicator: In the garage Tyres tab, you see enough fresh sets of the compounds you plan to use.

Adjust tire pressures (small changes only)

Go to Garage > Car Setup > Tyres.
Start with defaults. If you overheat often, try dropping pressures one click. If you struggle to build heat (especially on hards), raise one click.
Make changes per axle if the problem is front-only or rear-only.

Success indicator: After a 3–5 lap run, tire temps sit mostly green; wear per lap is steady and not spiking.

Warm-up properly (out-lap and formation lap)

On your out-lap/formation lap: weave, apply strong but controlled braking, and accelerate hard in short bursts.
For softs: they heat fast—don’t overdo it. For hards: you’ll need more weaving/braking to reach the window.
Aim to start a push lap with tires green and around the ideal window.

Success indicator: On the HUD/MFD, tire icons are green by Turn 1 or Turn 2 of your push lap.

Drive to the compound’s strengths

Softs: Attack, but avoid wheelspin. Short-shift on corner exits to prevent overheating the rears.
Mediums: Smooth and consistent. They can take mild aggression but punish big slides.
Hards: Brake a touch earlier and be patient on throttle. They come alive after 1–2 laps.

Success indicator: Lap times stabilize and don’t fall off a cliff after a couple laps.

Monitor wear and temps on the MFD

Open MFD > Tyres to see each tire’s wear % and temperature.
If a tire turns red from heat: back off for a sector, short-shift, and reduce sliding.
Plan to pit before wear climbs into the danger zone (around the upper 60s to low 70s). Exact thresholds can vary by patch and mode, so be conservative.

Success indicator: You pit with predictable, controlled wear rather than reacting to sudden drop-off.

Plan your pit stops around undercut/overcut

Undercut: Pitting earlier for fresh soft/medium can be powerful when rivals are on worn tires.
Overcut: If you’re in clean air with good pace and decent tire life, you can run longer and pit later—especially if rivals will struggle to warm hards.
Beware: Hards need more out-lap prep; expect them to be slow until they’re warm.

Success indicator: Your out-lap on fresh tires closes the gap or gets you track position without overheating them.

Use assists and car balance to save tires

Turn on ABS if you lock up often. Consider Traction Control: Medium if exits are spiky.
If rears wear/overheat: lower On‑Throttle Differential a few clicks; short-shift; be smoother with throttle.
If fronts wear: reduce entry speed; trail-brake gently; consider a click more Front Wing for rotation without scrubbing.

Success indicator: Fewer big slides/lockups, lower temp spikes, and more even front/rear wear.

Common Mistakes and Myths About F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips

“Hards are useless.” Myth. They’re invaluable on high-deg tracks, in heat, or during long green-flag runs.
Skipping warm-up. Cold hards feel awful; even softs need a clean prep.
Overdriving softs. Wheelspin kills them fast. Short-shift and be tidy.
Ignoring the MFD. Temperatures and wear are your “pit board.” Check them.
Copy-pasting pressures. Track temp and driving style matter. Adjust one click at a time.
Pitting strictly on the suggested lap. It’s a baseline. Respond to tire health, traffic, and safety cars.

Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”

Tires overheat within 1–2 laps
- Likely cause: Excess sliding, pressures too high, aggressive exits.
- Fixes:
  - Short-shift and roll more mid-corner speed.
  - Reduce On‑Throttle Diff a few clicks.
  - Lower tire pressures one click per axle.
  - Add a click of rear wing for stability.
Tires won’t heat (especially hards)
- Likely cause: Gentle inputs, low pressures, cool ambient.
- Fixes:
  - Weave/brake harder on out-lap; push more on first flyer.
  - Raise pressures one click.
  - Use slightly higher brake bias on warmup to add front temp (then set it back).
One corner of the car wears much faster (e.g., front-left)
- Likely cause: Track layout stresses that tire; too hot entry speeds; excess toe/camber.
- Fixes:
  - Slow your entry and trail-brake smoothly.
  - Consider reducing front toe or camber within your league’s rules/your comfort.
  - Add a click of front wing to rotate without scrubbing.
Post-stop out-lap is terrible on hards
- Likely cause: Cold carcass; pushing like softs.
- Fixes:
  - Build heat first: firm braking, a bit of weaving on straights, progressive throttle.
  - Expect pace after 1–2 laps; defend smart, not desperately.
Strategy changes don’t apply
- Likely cause: Not confirmed/saved.
- Fix:
  - In the garage, press the confirm button shown on screen.
  - On-track, open MFD > Strategy and select Pit This Lap to lock in.

Note: Don’t max out any single setup slider “for tire life.” Extreme settings often create new problems.

Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable

Practice 5–8 lap stints per compound in Practice or Grand Prix mode. Log average wear per lap and temp behavior.
Safety Car math: If a stop under SC/VSC costs far less time, pitting for fresher mediums/hards can win you free track position.
Track-dependent choices:
- High-deg/high-energy circuits: favor Medium/Hard in the race.
- Low-deg/cool circuits or street tracks: Soft/Medium can be strong and flexible.
Formation lap: With it enabled, you control your starting tire temps. Aim for green tires as you line up; avoid overheating the rears.

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

Run this checklist in any race:

You can explain why you chose each compound for each stint.
On push laps, your tires reach and stay green by Turn 1–2.
Lap times are consistent with minimal drop-off over 4–6 laps on softs and longer on mediums/hards.
You pit before wear becomes risky, not after the car falls off a cliff.
Your out-laps on fresh tires are tidy, with temps stabilizing within 1–2 laps.

If you can tick these, your compound choices and management are dialed.

Now that your F125 soft vs medium vs hard tire tips are solid, the next big gain usually comes from braking. See our guide on F125 braking technique.
Struggling with exits? Read F125 traction and throttle control for pad and wheel.
Want more consistency? Check F125 race strategy and pit stop timing to master undercuts, overcuts, and Safety Car calls.

Remember: patches can tweak tire behavior slightly. Use the principles above—temperature control, smooth inputs, and strategic pit timing—and you’ll adapt quickly in any update.