A warm welcome back to f1 for... slicks!

[Norwegian Blue]

Slicks!

And Slicks (http://67.15.62.73/previews%5Cdeh0704de151.jpg)

And more Slicks (http://67.15.62.73/previews%5Cdeh0704de151.jpg)

I swear they make the cars look 100 times better! (http://67.15.62.73/previews%5Cdeh0704de172.jpg)

[Valve Bounce]

You must have a helluva good TV set. I can barely make out the wheels sometimes on mine. :(

[Donney]

Slicks are good.

[Tazio]

Slicks yea'

[Powered by Cosworth]

http://www.itv-f1.com/ImageLibrary/45655_2.jpg

Beautiful!

[jso1985]

:s mokin:

[millencolin]

Gotta love those slicks!

[gloomyDAY]

What a sight!

[Ari]

You must have a helluva good TV set. I can barely make out the wheels sometimes on mine. :(

That's cause you're a fuzzy little old man and probably using a TV the rest of us would expect to sight at a museum!!! :D

[raikk]

http://www.itv-f1.com/ImageLibrary/45655_2.jpg

Beautiful!

wooooooo! that looks awesome :D

[LeonBrooke]

Absolutely gorgeous :)

[wmcot]

Any comments from the teams as to how the slicks held up during testing? What type of compound were the slicks (hard, soft, etc.?) I haven't read anything as to the quality of the slicks, just that F1 cars were running slicks. I want the details!

[leopard]

Not yet any official comment, because it hasn't made any sense, please wait :)

[Mark]

OOOH yes! You've made my day :D . They look like proper racing cars again :bounce:
It's just a pity we are going to have to wait until 2009 for them to appear :mad:

[ioan]

It would be nice, isn't it?!

Heidfeld was very very happy about the slicks, and very impressed too:



"Obviously there was more grip," he added. "It was easier to drive the car. A bit more forgiving and it seems easier to correct mistakes than with the grooves. It is more predictable, but I only did 10 laps."

The German also said he was surprised by the difference with grooved tyres.

"Actually I expected a huge difference in the lower speed (corners) and only a small difference in the higher speed (corners), but the difference in the lower speed was quite big and the difference in the higher speed was more than I had thought, it was quite surprising."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64274

So, bring slicks back and let's see some good racing.

[GP-M3]

It would be nice, isn't it?!

Heidfeld was very very happy about the slicks, and very impressed too:


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64274

So, bring slicks back and let's see some good racing.

That was yesterday, today he was really really pissed off with the slicks in combo with the 2009 aero and said 2009 will be really, really dangerous... I'm waiting to hear some other opinions.

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/12/05/heidfeld-f1-wil-be-extremely-dangerous-in-2009/

[Valve Bounce]

OOOH yes! You've made my day :D . They look like proper racing cars again :bounce:
It's just a pity we are going to have to wait until 2009 for them to appear :mad:


It is ridiculous to test them now and not bring them in for 2008. The compounds will be different by the time 2009 comes around.

By the way, can someone tell ioan that we already have a thread on slicks.

On second thought, maybe it's best not to tell him, for the sake of peace and quiet.

[mwr120675]

I like it allot

[SGWilko]

That slicks are not 'aeons' faster than the current grooved tyres, suggests that it was wrong to introduce grooves in the first place. Does anyone agree, or at least see that less grippy tyres, prone to graining, is actually more dangerous in a corner.......

[leopard]

perhaps once the slick tyres introduced the track must be free from sharp corners.

[SGWilko]

perhaps once the slick tyres introduced the track must be free from sharp corners.

Good point, the H&S people hate sharp edges in the workplace. :D

[ShiftingGears]

That slicks are not 'aeons' faster than the current grooved tyres, suggests that it was wrong to introduce grooves in the first place. Does anyone agree, or at least see that less grippy tyres, prone to graining, is actually more dangerous in a corner.......

I thought grooved tyres were more likely to grain than slicks were.

Slower cornering speeds = slower impact when the car comes off. If the car comes off. The drivers know how to drive within the cars limits, whatever the grip level is. I don't see how what you're suggesting would be more dangerous.

[leopard]

Introducing any new technology into F1 would be problem for driver who get used to need time for adjustment. The worries of the less grip tyres issue may endanger the driver is quite reasonable. The most reliable car could become easily broken... again.

[SGWilko]

I thought grooved tyres were more likely to grain than slicks were. I thought that is what I was referring to.....


Slower cornering speeds = slower impact when the car comes off. If the car comes off. The drivers know how to drive within the cars limits, whatever the grip level is. I don't see how what you're suggesting would be more dangerous.

The grooved tyres had a narrow grip window, when they went, it was quick. slicks are better all round.

[ShiftingGears]

I thought that is what I was referring to.....

I thought you were referring to slicks. My mistake.



The grooved tyres had a narrow grip window, when they went, it was quick. slicks are better all round.

Most certainly. Unfortunately there isn't any guarantee that slicks will be on the cars in '09. Especially since it has to be approved by the same person who recently said this.
"The F1 racing engine is fully developed, there is no need to develop it further".

Actually I could imagine Mosely blocking the use of slicks because they aren't relevant enough to everyday cars. Unfortunately.

[555-04Q2]

There is a God :)

[SGWilko]

There is a God :)

Prove it. ;)

NB - Only kidding, that was not a serious comment.

[ioan]

It is ridiculous to test them now and not bring them in for 2008. The compounds will be different by the time 2009 comes around.

By the way, can someone tell ioan that we already have a thread on slicks.

On second thought, maybe it's best not to tell him, for the sake of peace and quiet.

Ah you ...! :p :
I was just happy to read positive thoughts about the slicks! :)

[Osella]

That slicks are not 'aeons' faster than the current grooved tyres, suggests that it was wrong to introduce grooves in the first place. Does anyone agree, or at least see that less grippy tyres, prone to graining, is actually more dangerous in a corner.......

Yeah, good luck persuading Bridgestone and Goodyear to produce equal hard compound tyres for 1998 on that basis...
Remember the context in which grooves were introduced was in the middle of an intense tyre war and some of the most powerful F1 cars we had ever seen at that stage, despite the then recent cut from 3.5L to 3.0L engines.

On the other side, now that Bib has pissed off, at least we can have slicks back again! :up: But I say introduce them now! That will shake up the order, and give the drivers a challenge for once...be interesting to see how Bourdais would adapt too.. ;)