8 replies to this topic

[ray b]

nastycars tyres have an inner-liner [small tube] to prevent total tyre deflation
after the silverstone mess
does F-1 need something to prevent tyre explosions ?

semi runflats ?

Edited by ray b, 30 June 2013 - 20:43.

[smitten]

No. before today it wasn't a problem so there isn't much reason to assume it will be next week.

[Rasputin]

Just don't run over sharp kerbs at high speed, that's all there is to it really.

[MatsNorway]

No. before today it wasn't a problem so there isn't much reason to assume it will be next week.

I think its the wrong attitude. Sure they need to respect sharp kerbs but Grand prix racing did not really have focus on safety for over half a century either.

And if this means less time spent with yellows and Safety car i am all for it.

Edited by MatsNorway, 30 June 2013 - 21:01.

[Greg Locock]

nastycars tyres have an inner-liner [small tube] to prevent total tyre deflation
does F-1 need something to prevent tyre explosions ?
semi runflats ?

I don't think inner tubes are the answer, they are notoriously vulnerable to pinch flats aka snake bites. They also increase tire temperatures. If you make the tire more robust they'll push them harder.

[gruntguru]

Just don't run over sharp kerbs at high speed, that's all there is to it really.

So - they all need to slow down a little? I always felt those F1 guys drive much too fast.

Edited by gruntguru, 01 July 2013 - 06:25.

[bigleagueslider]

I don't think the liners used in NASCAR would work in F1. The tires used in NASCAR are far different than those used in F1. Cup cars are far heavier than an F1 car, the tires are much narrower, and the Cup cars have far more ground clearance.

The tires used in F1 have incredibly thin sidewalls and treads. That's why it's common to see flats in F1 caused by simple contact with bodywork of another car or by running over a piece of debris on the track. Due to the limited ground clearance with an F1 car, it would be difficult to design an inner tire liner capable of preventing chassis contact in the event of a loss of pressure in a main tire body.

[Rasputin]

So - they all need to slow down a little? I always felt those F1 guys drive much too fast.

Not really, but I perhaps the Pirelli engineers didn't take running over the jagged kerbs at 150 mph into account?

[WhiteBlue]

It has probably more to do with the desire to create tyres with ever decreasing operating windows. That generates tyre talk as teams are struggling to cope with the fragile and over heating tyres. IMO Pirelli simply went too far with that strategy not using proper safety margins for heat generation in the tyre shoulders. The high speed corners in Silverstone and the modified bonding process gave the tyres the last push over the edge into the abyss of catastrophic failure. Tyres are safety critical components and should simply not fail on contemporary tracks, full stop. I would exclude Pirelli from the next tyre contract for 2014-2016 if I were FiA president. Every other tyre supplier can only be an improvement to the recklessness shown by Pirelli this year. They had no sensible reason to make the tyres so fragile except they wanted the tyre talk for PR. The FiA needs to make it abundantly clear that such behaviour is completely unacceptable.