Why are slick tyres returning to Formula One racing?
PV: The slick tyres are another aspect of the new regulations designed to facilitate overtaking and they play a major part in this whole concept. In order to facilitate overtaking you need to alter the current situation where the wake of a car has a very detrimental effect on the performance of the car behind. But you can also change the balance between aerodynamic performance and mechanical grip in order to limit the drop in performance suffered by the car behind. Improving mechanical grip was an important aspect of this set of regulations, obviously tyre grip is not altered in the wake of another car, and slick tyres, because they provide more grip than grooved tyres, contribute to this. Q: What are the implications of the adjustable front wing? PV: The adjustable front wing is another change which contributes to reducing the impact of wake on a car’s performance. One of the characteristics of a car following another is to lose front downforce and end up with understeer. The new regu
