Formula 1 cars, commonly known as F1 cars, face a crucial factor in the Grand Prix events—their tires. These tires are categorized into dry and rain tires, tailored for use on sunny and rainy days.
Their lifespan doesn't exceed 150 kilometers, making them extraordinary despite being ordinary tires, with a remarkable 1/500 thickness.
The key lies in their exceptionally high adhesion, ensuring the F1 car maintains grip on the track during high-speed movement, sudden deceleration, and sharp turns.
Unraveling the lesser-known secrets of F1 tires:
1. The entire Pirelli race team, comprising 50 professionals, operates on-site during a race weekend. Simultaneously, another 50 individuals work at the Milan headquarters for the F1 race—resulting in 100 Pirelli tire experts overseeing four tires per car during a race weekend.
2. Among the 50 on-site professionals, 11 are designated to each F1 team. They exclusively work for their respective teams, submitting daily reports to Pirelli HQ after each race.
3. Despite the teams not sharing data, Pirelli publishes a daily average of the 11 teams. This allows teams to compare themselves to the average, a practice questioned due to the existing performance gaps among teams.
4. Each tire carries a barcode, similar to those in supermarkets. Scanning reveals the assigned driver, the number of laps it has endured, its hardness, and lap-by-lap data.
5. Pirelli transports 2,000 tires for every race, and in Europe, additional GP2 and GP3 tires bring the total to 4,000 per weekend—requiring a substantial number of trucks.
6. Tire distribution is managed by the FIA, with each team's rims possessing barcodes. Tires are only mounted when the tire and the rim are matched at the track, preventing left-side tires from being mistakenly placed on right-side wheels.
7. Balancing issues arise as teams require different weight balances for tires, and wear and pressure variations during a race can create weight differences of tens of grams.
8. Tire engineers use specialized Windows tablet computers, providing information on tire use by all teams.
The composition of F1 race tires involves a blend of carbon fiber and titanium alloy. This unique material offers high abrasion resistance, ensuring superb grip and enabling the cars to maintain top performance at an impressively fast pace—surpassing civilian tires with a rubber composition.
F1 tires feature different compounds for each circuit, tailored based on track roughness, temperature, and corner characteristics. The outer frame comprises a complex fabric of nylon and polyester fibers, allowing it to withstand substantial aerodynamic loads, pulling forces, and high-speed impacts.
Categorized into dry and rain types, F1 racing tires for rain are designed to maximize water drainage from the tread and track contacts.
Professional information highlights their ability to discharge tens of liters of water per second, providing excellent grip on soaked tracks and preventing skidding—ensuring the car achieves optimal driving speed even in challenging conditions.
