In F1 the tires were required to have the circumferential grooves in order to slow down cornering speeds by reducing the contact patch/mechanical grip. Now that they have switched to a Bridgestone control tire with a slightly softer option tire do we still need the grooves? For me, they look ridiculous on a the world's premiere racing cars. Is it just me? The FIA and Mr. Ecclestone could easily have a chat with the tire engineers at Bridgestone and alleviate the situation now that there is a single tire supplier. Sorry, I just needed to vent.

And about the identification mark on the option tire being only the size of a quarter and the same color as the lettering on the tire, why not a red dot or stripe? Because they found out that is how they are doing it in Champ Car and they most certainly cannot copy that. The mark is there to help fans in the stands and watching on TV, but without ultra zoom and slow-mo no one can tell. The SpeedTV announcers didn't like this either.

Thoughts?

 

That tire marking issue is crazy. Either it is for the fans to see or it is not. The announcers cracked me up trying to figure it out. "D'you see a dot? No, I think that's the hard compound, oops, there it is..."

It would also help if the TV cameras made any effort to view the sidewalls at pit stops (they did not).

 

that was pretty funny.

 

Not sure aboiut what your asking Wills,
But SpeedTV guy Matchett said BS has 4 tires not including inter and wets, but only 2 types brought to OZ.

I assume in climate such as Mala, they wil be a lot harder and a harder soft??

I agree, if only 1 tire Manufacture.. let them make all out crazy tires, several years ago when BS was sole tire supplier, before Mich came in, were tires more angry??

Maybe this new sets are just short term because full slicks are in the talks for next concorde agreement.

 

The red tires in Champ Car may be a gimmick, but they are an interesting gimmick. It loses all interest, though, if you can't visually identify the tires easily.

 

110%

 

Bernie Ecclestone is an arrogant idiot.

 

with ferrari and brigestones long on going partenership, i can't see where the teams that had to switch from the michilens can fully catch up to ferrari. and is it only the ferrari that lenthgen their wheel base on the new chassie?