Competition tyres are available in various compounds for the reason that road surfaces, forest roads, climate conditions and vehicle performance can vary in so many different ways. The ideal compound for a competition tyre is to be 2/3rds worn at the end of its competition distance. This means that on a race track if there is no tyre changing during the race the perfect tyre compound will last for the duration of the race. This could be from 6 laps to 60 laps. In rallying you need a tyre compound that can last the distance till the next service point. This could be approximately 40-50 kilometres of competitive driving. The level of competition will also determine the type of compound that you use. If you are a low budget team the you need your tyres to last possibly the entire length of the rally, or if you have sponsorship from a tyre manufacturer then new tyres can be fitted at every service point in the rally and this could mean up to 60 tyres.

Climate conditions will determine the type of compound to use. In a climate where the temperature is down as low as 5° C to 10° C as soft compound will be needed as the cold conditions will make the tread compound very hard. Opposite to this is where the temperature is 30° C to 36° C as you will need a hard compound because the hot temperature will soften the tread compound and increase tread wear.

Should your vehicle have high horsepower then this will wear out the tread quicker than on a lower powered vehicle. Also, race track surfaces, tarmac roads and forest roads have different abrasive characteristics to the tread compound.