Formula One tyre for dry surfaces
is a colossus of 660 mm in external diameter and 350 mm wide,
containing four
longitudinal grooves of at least 2.5 mm imposed by the Depth
Regulations. These grooves are symmetrically placed from the
centre of the tyre tread and spaced 50 mm apart. Far from being
just an altered slick, the dry surface tyre is a completely
new concept, introduced to F1 with the sole aim of reducing
the size of the ground contact area, i.e. the surface which
ensures grip, resulting from the contact of the rubber compound
and track. The aim of the
regulations: to reduce the speed of the cars on corners... even
if this
means lost sleep for the manufacturers' design offices. |
Fine to moderate rain, precarious
gripping conditions but which do
not justify using Wet tyres: intermediates are required. They
have a
special role and a wide range of uses: on a drying track, they
must
evacuate the film of water but also remain competitive on the
dry
without deteriorating too much. For this reason, quite discrete
sculptures are used. |
As well as the constraints of
compound and structure explained
above, the tyre for rain ;full wet;- must meet another equirement:
to evacuate the film of water which infiltrates between
the tyre contact area and the track. If this film is too great,
the tyre loses all grip: resulting in aquaplaning. Regulations
allow three different types of wet tyres by race. Generally,
one is an intermediate
type, the other two are ;wet; types, for soaked tracks. These
types of tyre can only be used when the track has been
declared;wet; by the race director. |
