Comment by Aurornis
16 hours ago
Design and compound matters a lot, but it's still a tradeoff.
The easiest way to increase rolling resistance is to reduce the tread depth. Less deformation of the rubber leads to less rolling resistance.
So to improve rolling resistance, the designers can reduce tread depth and move to a harder compound, which trades off grip.
Modern tires are good, but everything is tradeoffs.
Of course it is trade-offs. But not all trade offs are linear on the same axis and conditions. For example, changing the compound to make it a bit harder may increase the longevity of the tire significantly in moderate climates at only a limited decrease in grip. And maybe even improved cornering.