Tyres - The return of the slick?

[Cadfael]

Is it not ironic that a few years ago the FIA banned the use of slick grooveless tires, and introduce grooved tires? Did anyone see the tires on those cars that finished the race, or the tyres of Rubinio?

They were Slicks! Under the old rules if a grooved tyre had worn to a slick a penanlty would have been given.

How long will it take the tyre companies to use this effect that is now legal? At the moment this wearing down is detrimental to the drivers, but it could be turned into a benefit.

 

[Drift260Z]

how would they do that? the reason why it was a slick is because there wasn't enough rubber left on the tire anymore, i.e, horrible handling. the grooves have to be a certaindepth and width when made so they wouldn't be able to make the grooves extra shallow and put more rubber on underneath or something like that. it would be neat if the tires were still useable when they turn into "slicks". but after one race the FIA would catch wind of that and come out with another rule prohibiting that from happening again.

what I belive they should do in the interest of safety and competetive-ness is let teams have the same amount of tires as they could have last year. but instead of it being last year's tires, they keep the same hard compound(or possibly harder), but let the teams change tires during races and fuel up during pitstops(like last year), that way the cars will be slower and more safe. they won't have to worry about locking up and wearing the driver out from all the bumping and knocking around caused by the flatspots. and also, they won't have to worry about sliding off the track or into other drivers(*ahem* Massa) because the tires just don't have anymore grip.

about the engines, I belive they should set a maximum level of money that can be spent, a horsepower level, engine displacement, and induction(N/A, or turbocharged). so that way we can hear the mix of flat-12's, V-12's, V8's, V-6's, and anything else they want. that way they could have a turbocharged V-6(for the power and room/weight saved on the quicker tracks(Sepang, Monza, Hockenheim, Nurburgring, etc) and have a N/A V-10 or V-12 for the tight tracks(Monte Carlo, Bahrain, errmmm.....) for the instant power delivery and good low end torque to boost you out of the corners. it would make for an interesting season. but that's just me.







rock.

 

[sirlosealot]

Is it not ironic that a few years ago the FIA banned the use of slick grooveless tires, and introduce grooved tires? Did anyone see the tires on those cars that finished the race, or the tyres of Rubinio?

They were Slicks! Under the old rules if a grooved tyre had worn to a slick a penanlty would have been given.

How long will it take the tyre companies to use this effect that is now legal? At the moment this wearing down is detrimental to the drivers, but it could be turned into a benefit.

From the F1 sporting regulations available on www.fia.com:

The Championship will be contested on grooved tyres. The FIA reserve the right to introduce at any time a method of measuring remaining groove depth if performance appears to be enhanced by high wear or by the use of tyres which are worn so that the grooves are no longer visible.

No blood, no foul. Since no-ones performance appears to have been 'enhanced' there's no problem.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Indeed, it's the enhancement thing that's the key. The FIA will look at the lap times.

Usually, when the grooves are eliminated, there's so little rubber left on the tyre that it can't perform, hence there is a decrement to performance, which is what the FIA is going for.

 

[kensei]

Usually, when the grooves are eliminated, there's so little rubber left on the tyre that it can't perform, hence there is a decrement to performance, which is what the FIA is going for.

Ya but at that point the tire becomes dangerous. If Europe has a hot summer and the title fight gets hot and heavy later in the season I could see some major accidents as drivers have to start pushing hard for points regardless of their tire conditions. Right now people are driving fairly easy because no one is really sure about tire wear and it is early in the season. Things will change by round 12.

I'd hate to see the FIA's stupid rules kill or hurt a driver.

You can't tell the drivers "You should drive slower" as a policy to slow the cars down. We see that the FIA's hack over the off season didn't slow the cars down at all. In fact it made them more touch aerodynmically with worn tires now. Way to go Max Mosley!

I do sorta like that the tires are level now. I would like to see F1 move to a spec control tire, they are basically there now with all teams but 1 (well 3, but only one that matters) on Michelins. Introduce a spec tire. Give the teams a few sets. Allow one tire change during the race. The tires could even be slicks since the FIA could control their compounds.

Make the cars qualify and start the race on one set and then allow the teams one set of tires to change during the race. No forced pitstops but put the ball in the team's court. Imagine the strategy involved. Not knowing when a car will pit for the new tires which will be much faster.

Example. Imagine JPM is fighting with Schumi. Schumi changed his tires on his previous pit stop and is pulling away form JPM. JPM dives into the pits, makes the change and in JPM/cold tire ways makes a charge for Schumi. Imagine the show that would be.

Right now the drivers drive their race and by mid point it is pretty much settled. After that there is little the drivers can do with their cars due to tires and it becomes a F1 parade. Not the best racing...

 

[786]

you are right about that...less downforce and worn tires equal a recipe for disaster...that nazi mosley could really regret these changes in the regs...