Rubens: The Narrower Front Tyre Hurts Racing ITV-F1

[Mysterious Rock]

From ITV-F1
Rubens Barrichello, Formula 1's most experienced driver, believes the switch to narrower front tyres for 2010 is one of the main reasons why the racing looks set to be less exciting this year.

In the wake of the uneventful Bahrain Grand Prix, there have been calls for a rules overhaul to bring wheel to wheel racing back into F1.

The front tyres were made narrower at Bridgestone's request this year as the company adapted to working with slicks in F1 again, but Barrichello reckons that change was always guaranteed to make the racing less exciting than in 2009.

"Sometimes I'm a bit critical of things, but when I heard that they would make the front tyres smaller, I just didn't understand that," he said.

"The fact that we had better racing last year was because we dropped the ugly grooved tyres for slicks.

"That's what we need - we need more mechanical grip on the car and to lose the aerodynamics.

Made me think that they could bring them back and run with the harder compound tyre, so this will even them out between hard and soft but also will give more mechanical grip which is what is needed to get racing going

[Sonic]

We did have a chat on the board lat year about the smaller fronts and even the least technical savy understands that with less contact patch you can't lean on the tyres as much to make a last gasp pass.

[Dave B]

Swings and roundabouts. Less mechanical grip could in theory lead to more mistakes and sliding, making more of a spectacle and providing overtaking opportunities. That's not to say that Rubens is talking a lot of blah-blah-blah, there's a lot of sense in what he says. Bottom like is it's not the CP that's the problem, it's the massive over-reliance on aero.

[Sonic]

Swings and roundabouts. Less mechanical grip could in theory lead to more mistakes and sliding, making more of a spectacle and providing overtaking opportunities. That's not to say that Rubens is talking a lot of blah-blah-blah, there's a lot of sense in what he says. Bottom like is it's not the CP that's the problem, it's the massive over-reliance on aero.

Regarding overtaking; its probably a question without answer as the goalpost keep moving, but i'l have a go anyway ;) . Wet races often produce decent on track action because there is a tipping point between mechanical and aero grip. At high speeds it doesn't matter that the track is sodden as the aero pushes the car down generating decent grip, but as the speed drops off for the chicanes and hairpins the aero effect dies off and the lack of mechanical grip on the wet surface allows for slip sliding, therefore mistakes, therefore passing.

Perhaps with super super hard compounds we would be able to recreate that wet condition in the dry?

[wedge]

Swings and roundabouts. Less mechanical grip could in theory lead to more mistakes and sliding, making more of a spectacle and providing overtaking opportunities.

And that's why we went back to slicks.

[ArrowsFA1]

Bottom like is it's not the CP that's the problem, it's the massive over-reliance on aero.


Perhaps with super super hard compounds we would be able to recreate that wet condition in the dry?

Wet races certainly provide more opportunities for overtaking and while we don't want to go down the road of having sprinklers at every race to create a wet surface :eek: there maybe something in having harder compound tyres to reduce grip levels.

I think there are three things to be looked at:

Aero[/*:m:3l9ae6ys]
Tyres[/*:m:3l9ae6ys]
Brakes[/*:m:3l9ae6ys]For me aero is a no brainer. The cars themselves are so aero efficient, and affect air flow to following cars reducing opportunities for overtaking.

Tyres have been changed numerous times over the years with little effect on the racing, and yet they are such a crucial part of the package.

Braking distances have an enormous impact on the ability of drivers to make passing moves. Again, like aero, they are so efficient and reduce braking distances leaving few opportunities for overtaking. Increase braking distances and you create more opportunities.

[wedge]

Perhaps with super super hard compounds we would be able to recreate that wet condition in the dry?

Can't see manufacturers agreeing to this. Want incentive is there for a manufacturer to produce rock hard tyres?

They're there to show off performance let alone competing with other brands.

[turismo6]

Should have kept the front the front wheels the same from 2009, and trimmed the front wing in. I think widest part of a car should be the wheels.