Why didn't F1 cars use slicks untill 1970?

[Blake]

This has been bugging me for a month or so. I've noticed that all F1 cars did not use slick tyres untill 1970. Before then they used tyres with tread patterns.

I want to know why they never used slick tyres untill 1970.

My only guess is that they never had a different tyre for wet and dry, or that they didn't understand how the increase in contact patch would help.

Any ideas?

Blake

 

[Solid Lifters]

This has been bugging me for a month or so. I've noticed that all F1 cars did not use slick tyres untill 1970. Before then they used tyres with tread patterns.

I want to know why they never used slick tyres untill 1970.

My only guess is that they never had a different tyre for wet and dry, or that they didn't understand how the increase in contact patch would help.

Any ideas?

Blake

It was the '60s, man. They were all smoking too much weed.

Other than that, I don't know.

I just found this. It said the first use of slicks for F1 was 1979.

http://www.stuckey.com.au/evolution.aspx

 

[DQuaN]

Well, there's your answer!

Good read 👍

The first slick type tyre was produced by Dunlop in 1966 called the CR70. However this was ahead of its time and proved unsuitable for the compounds available then. As we now know, a tyre needs a certain amount of 'flexibility' in the tread to give it 'progression'. Without this it feels like steering a truck tyre. Earlier tyres achieved this 'progression' by the inherent flexibility of the tread pattern. Current slick tyres achieve this effect by the use of soft tread compounds. However the compounds used then were far too hard for this pattern.

 

[Blake]

Dunlop officially withdrew from F1 at the end of 1969 with their last patterned tyre, the CR84, citing lack of relevance to road tyre development. Interestingly, the adoption of 'slick' type treads followed immediately. At that time road tyres were rapidly changing to radial construction, then totally unsuited to the demands of racing.

See, 1970

Blake

 

[The359]

I believe back then they didnt change tires during the race, meaning that if it started raining during the race a treaded tire would be much better then wasting the time to replace the tire in the pits.

 

[Ev0]

Actually, if my memory of the Grand Prix Legends manual serves me well, tires not only lasted for the only race, but they lasted for multiple race weekends. And given the tread, I think they were okay for racing in the rain, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Blake]

Actually they occasionally changed tyres during the race. Remember in 1957, German GP, Fangio was gambling on a 1 stop strategy. Stop for fuel and to change tyres, so they used a softer compound. I think it was rare, however it did happen.

Blake