From 2008-1010 a single supplier, Bridgestone, has supplied all tyres. Pirelli has been confirmed as the tyre supplier for 2011 as Bridgestone has announced its withdrawal.

The supplier supplies two specifications of slick dry-weather tyres:

• Prime tyres (hard or medium compound) and
  • Plain Tyre
  • more durable
• Option tyres (soft or super-soft compound).
  • Green stripe on wall
  • more grip than the Prime tyre, provides a faster lap time but less durable.

Additionally, the supplier supplies one of intermediate and one of wet-weather tyres.
The two dry tyre specifications are visually distinguishable during racing; this is done with a green stripe painted on the wall of the soft ‘option’  tyres.

Competitors have limited number of tyre sets during a race event:

• eleven dry,
• four intermediate,
• three wet.

Tyre Usage Rules

• Each tyre must be marked with a unique identifier during a race event.
• During the practice sessions drivers are limited to use of three sets of dry tyres and certain sets must be returned to the supplier before the second and third sessions.
• If qualifying and starting the race in dry tyres, drivers who make it to the third qualification session must use the tyres they set their grid time with to start the race.
• Cars must race on both type of dry compounds during a race unless intermediate or wet tyres have been used by that car in that race. This means that a pit-stop is mandatory under dry conditions.
• Prior to qualifying, wet- and intermediate-tyres may only be used at if the track is judged wet by the race director.
• Starting the race behind the safety car due to heavy rain requires cars to be fitted with wet-tyres until they pit.
• Heaters may be applied only to the outside of tyres.