What are wet tyres in F1?
Deep-grooved blue-marked tyres for heavy rain, designed to clear standing water and resist aquaplaning.
Full wet tyres, marked in blue, are built for heavy rain and standing water. Their deep tread can disperse a large volume of water per second, keeping the tyre in contact with the road and reducing aquaplaning. They give up grip and wear fast if the track dries, so teams move to intermediates as soon as conditions allow. In the very worst conditions the race may be started behind the Safety Car or delayed until visibility and standing water improve.
Related tyres terms
- Slick tyres — Smooth, treadless dry-weather tyres that maximise grip by putting as much rubber on the road as possible.
- Intermediate tyres — Grooved green-marked tyres for a damp or drying track — the crossover between slicks and full wets.
- Tyre compounds (soft, medium, hard) — The dry tyre range from soft (fastest, wears quickest) to hard (most durable, less grip), chosen to suit the track.
- The C-range (C1–C5) — The tyre supplier's full library of dry compounds, from the hardest (C1) to the softest (C5), from which three are picked per race.
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Definition written in plain language from the current F1 sporting rules and common usage, current as of 14 August 2026. Unofficial; not affiliated with Formula 1.