Slicks

[skeggysteve]

Autosport report says that teams will be testing slicks at Jerez in preparation for the possible re-introduction in 2009.

Slicks and no TC - bring it on.

Full Autosport story: here

[anonymous-user]

Odd timing.

I would expect they are doing this as a test of the tyres just in case they find the cars are undrivable or too hard on the grooved tyres with no TC, so they have a fallback plan for 2008. After all the origial plan was to introduce the new ECU and no TC with slicks in 2008, and they havnt ever run grooved tyres without TC.

They dont need to test slicks now to get data for 2009, thats bull that is.

[SamHH]

johnfelstead said:

...they havnt ever run grooved tyres without TC.

Grooved tyres were re-introduced in 1998, traction control was banned between 1994 and 2001.

[SamHH]

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

[skeggysteve]

SamHH said:

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

Yes I am an old git

But......to my mind it is just wrong that F1 cars don't run on slicks.

[Graham]

SamHH said:

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

and because the grooved tyres look shit...

[mark69sheer]

I'm not sure slicks will be such a good idea.
The grooved tyres seem to be better at running over the marbles.
If slicks come back then we will probably see more offline braking accidents

[wilbo]

mark69sheer said:

I'm not sure slicks will be such a good idea.
The grooved tyres seem to be better at running over the marbles.
If slicks come back then we will probably see more offline braking accidents

what?

[johnph]

SamHH said:

Grooved tyres were re-introduced in 1998, traction control was banned between 1994 and 2001.

Unless of course your car was blue and green and its name was the same as a certain Italian fashion house

[EDLT]

SamHH said:

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

In theory they'd give more grip, making the car less reliant on downforce so overtaking can make a comeback.

[anonymous-user]

SamHH said:

johnfelstead said:

...they havnt ever run grooved tyres without TC.

Grooved tyres were re-introduced in 1998, traction control was banned between 1994 and 2001.

and everyone cheated, which is why they re-introduced it as they couldnt police the ban.

[RobM77]

SamHH said:

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

It's because the ratio of mechanical to aerodynamic grip currently doesn't promote close racing. Slicks will help re-address this balance.

Ideally, I'd like to see slicks re-introduced along with smaller wings. I don't want to see lap times suffering, but I'd like to see proper racing return to Formula 1.

[SamHH]

RobM77 said:

It's because the ratio of mechanical to aerodynamic grip currently doesn't promote close racing. Slicks will help re-address this balance.

But you don't need slicks to get more grip, nor will slicks necessarily provide more grip. Why not just have wider grooved tyres?

[RobM77]

SamHH said:

RobM77 said:

It's because the ratio of mechanical to aerodynamic grip currently doesn't promote close racing. Slicks will help re-address this balance.

But you don't need slicks to get more grip, nor will slicks necessarily provide more grip. Why not just have wider grooved tyres?

That is one solution, yes. I believe that slicks are more progressive - at least that's what Damon Hill said when they came in. If that's the case they'll combine well with the lack of TC.

[skinny]

what's the point (advantage) of grooved tyres tho (at a time when pretty everyone accepts that we need more mechanical grip and less aero)?

they are pointless and ultimately unenforceable (except by correspondingly stupid regulations)

Edited by skinny on Friday 23 November 00:11

[SamHH]

skinny said:

what's the point (advantage) of grooved tyres tho (at a time when pretty everyone accepts that we need more mechanical grip and less aero)?

they are pointless and ultimately unenforceable (except by correspondingly stupid regulations)

The idea, I believe, is that they create more drag for the same contact area, or less contact area for the same drag. I wasn't aware of them being less 'progressive' though.

[mat205125]

Graham said:

SamHH said:

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

and because the grooved tyres look shit...

.... but if they keep with the different compound rules, it makes it easier for the spectators to see what's going on. It also is easier for the TV, and hence fans, to get an impression of how much a tyre has worn in a session from the groove depth (or lack of). The tiny depth dots on slicks barely show on TV.

[RobM77]

SamHH said:

skinny said:

what's the point (advantage) of grooved tyres tho (at a time when pretty everyone accepts that we need more mechanical grip and less aero)?

they are pointless and ultimately unenforceable (except by correspondingly stupid regulations)

The idea, I believe, is that they create more drag for the same contact area, or less contact area for the same drag. I wasn't aware of them being less 'progressive' though.

With reference to my comment about Hill, I've just found this:

Damon Hill interview said:

Q I remember you saying this during your career, that the grooved tyres really changed the handling characteristics of the car.

A Oh yes - for a pure sensation of driving grooved tyres are a disaster. There’s not one person, not one driver I know who doesn’t think so. All you have to do is go for half a lap on a set of slicks and suddenly you think the whole world’s changed.

Grooved tyres have contributed to reducing speeds but they have not contributed to the racing in a positive way.

from here:

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2006/07/17/damon-hill-i...

I couldn't find his original comment, but it was along the lines of lack of progression.

[SamHH]

Thanks for finding that. Regarding what Hill was saying about grooved tyres offering less 'driving sensation', I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing. I can see how, if a driver has a better feel of what the car is doing he is likely to push harder and take greater risks. On the other hand, one of the criticisms that is often levelled at modern Formula One cars is that they are too easy to drive and that therefore errors occur less often and the best drivers don't have as much opportunity to demonstrate their skill as they otherwise would. According to Hill slick tyres would make them even easier to drive.

[SamHH]

mat205125 said:

Graham said:

SamHH said:

I'm not sure why the idea of slick tyres is so popular. Is it just nostalgia?

and because the grooved tyres look shit...

.... but if they keep with the different compound rules, it makes it easier for the spectators to see what's going on. It also is easier for the TV, and hence fans, to get an impression of how much a tyre has worn in a session from the groove depth (or lack of). The tiny depth dots on slicks barely show on TV.

You're quite right about the visibility of wear on grooved tyres versus slick tyres. Regarding distinguishing different compounds, they could use coloured sidewalls (I believe this is what they do with Champ Cars), or I think even the whole tyre could be coloured.