and which of the two tire compounds is the toughest?
Soft compond mean the rubber is more softer i.e it will have a better girp on road bcz the heat produced by the friction melts the tyre and helps in better grip. Hard r one which lasts long.They r u specifical in circuits in which more turns r there and in circuit where there is lot of understerring and downforce.
There are different types of dry weather tyres: Hard compound tyres last longer than soft tyres but it has lesser grip. Medium compound tyres for balanced performace. Soft compound tyres has more grip but didn't last longer as hard tyres. Also they have Super soft tyres for special racing condition or for specific race track, this tyre has the highest level of grip and also highest in wear tear. Wet weather tyres is a different story. there are intermediate tyres for semi wet / semi dry track (with V-shaped groove - designed to disperse water). And Extreme wet weather tyres (fully threaded) for severe weather or hard rains.
