Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport and the pinnacle of automotive engineering.

The demands for performance and efficiency mean that every aspect of a race vehicle is purposefully designed and created to meet those demands. An F1 car needs to do just one thing, and that's get around a track as quickly as possible.

Compare that to an ordinary road car and immediately, the priorities are completely different. Qualities such as practicality, reliability and comfort are all higher on the agenda. However, F1 and road cars share many of the same features and technologies. Tyres are something that both types of vehicle need to have - so, how do they differ?

Longevity

The average F1 tyre is built to last for a matter of minutes, as opposed to car tyres from brands like Dunlop that are designed to last for a matter of years. The extreme forces that an F1 car encounters provoke a level of wear and tear that no car tyre would have to handle its lifetime. These tyres are swapped multiple times through the race and thus short-term performance is favoured over sustainability.

Flexibility

F1 tyres come packed with a specialised nylon and polyester weave, which can deal with the extreme forces involved in flinging a McLaren at lighting speed around a tight corner. The sidewall in particular must be able to flex repeatedly, as it's effectively forming part of the suspension system.

Grip

As performance is the primary objective in F1, tyre grip is utilised and altered to suit road conditions on different tracks. A 'slick' F1 tyre offers far greater traction on dry roads than a grooved tyre. This means the maximum possible contact between the car and the road, ensuring maximum grip. When the weather gets wet, however, a slick tyre is a bad idea. On the other hand, ordinary car tyres are required to have a minimum tread of 1.6mm.

Size

You might notice that F1 tyres are considerably chunkier than their mainstream equivalents. Were you to attempt to drive an F1 car on road-car tyres, you'd quickly run into problems with grip and heat distribution.

Weight

The minimum weight for an F1 car is around 740kg, including the driver. This contrasts significantly with that of the average road car, which can be twice that figure. You'll find this reflected in the tyre pressures, which can be kept much lower in Formula 1 because of the lower vehicle weight.