Often 2 or even 3 stints on the same set of tires.ubrben wrote:Le Mans cars do 1 hour stints on tyres and they're heavier than F1 cars with less downforce.
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Often 2 or even 3 stints on the same set of tires.ubrben wrote:Le Mans cars do 1 hour stints on tyres and they're heavier than F1 cars with less downforce.
Curiously, I have heard several (more) independent comments recently echoing the sentiment - re Le Mans, anyway.ubrben wrote:They want to go back into F1 and position themselves behind green issues because someone's threatening their dominance in Le Mans Series racing
Actually, there is an interesting Autosport article on the subject, though I am sure you will have read it. Gascoyne's comments were relevant & perceptive, I thought.ubrben wrote:Not sure where 18" comes into this, but they're making noises about sustainability and other such rubbish.
This x100ubrben wrote:I wish people would accept that motor racing isn't and never will be environmentally friendly and virtually nothing from racing translates into road cars apart from styling cues and marketing BS.
Ben
Also.. I still say.. so what? 18", 17", 16", whatever.. big deal. And I'm sure every tire company I can think of already makes 13" bead diameter tires commercially anyway. Michelin certainly will be making more 13" radial race slicks in the next years whether they get the F1 contract or not.DaveW wrote:Might suit Michelin, JT. Apparently Michelin supplied 75% of the Le Mans starters in 2009 - most, if not all, using 18 inch rims....Jersey Tom wrote:Switching to 18" bead diameter tires just seems like extra cost for everyone for no real gain.
Agree with your comments, except that I'm not totally sure the loads will be dramatically different. Neat way of hitting the reset button, though, if it turns out they are in a competition....Jersey Tom wrote:What's the synergy between a 18" Le Mans tire, and a potential 18" F1 tire? Different loads.. different speeds.. different springrates.. different tracks.. different endurance requirements.. the list goes on.
Totally agree. No idea why people think F1 should or could be this magical lab that can come up with better solutions than the already huge R&D labs present in big car manufacturers, despite having very different objectives such as say.... winning races.Jersey Tom wrote:I still say the whole idea of consumer 'relevance' is being blown out of proportion. Look at the cars themselves! How much 'relevance' does an open wheeler have to Ferrari's line of road cars? Just because they don't look the same doesn't mean crap.
Motor racing has never been, and never needs to be 'relevant' to your every day car and driver. More often than not, technology is developed OUTSIDE of F1 and brought in, rather than developed in F1 and pushed out. That's the way it's always been.
Switching to 18" bead diameter tires just seems like extra cost for everyone for no real gain.
I just happen to have a little more confidence in Michelin to know where the synergies are than in Jersey Tom from Akron. They have been in the business for 121 years and have quite a reputation.Jersey Tom wrote:What's the synergy between a 18" Le Mans tire, and a potential 18" F1 tire? Different loads.. different speeds.. different springrates.. different tracks.. different endurance requirements.. the list goes on.
Bottom line, there is no need to develop a totally new tire platform. Why bother, especially given that it's going to affect so many other suppliers and parts of the car?
You'd be surprised.xpensive wrote:For once I agree with WB, if the suggestion comes from Michelin, they should know what they are doing.
+1xpensive wrote:They do indeed WB, but the tire-profile looks much less than today's 13", correct?
Increasing the track would be for the best in any context, the narrow track since 1998 has always looked odd to me.
