A single Formula 1 tyre costs somewhere between $2,500 and $3,000. That’s per tyre, not per set. So a full set of four slicks will set a team back around $10,000 to $12,000.
To put that into everyday language: that’s roughly the price of a used family hatchback. Or a very nice holiday to Spain. For four lumps of rubber that don’t even come with a spare.
But wait—there’s a catch (and a story).
You don’t just buy one set and call it a day. During a single Grand Prix weekend, a team can burn through thirteen to twenty sets of tyres. Do the maths: that’s up to $240,000 on tyres alone for one race weekend.
I remember watching the British Grand Prix last year, and my friend said, “Look, they’re changing tyres again—that’s like them dropping a new iPhone every 20 minutes.” He wasn’t wrong. It’s a £1,000 phone hitting the tarmac, over and over, for fun.
