F1 teams to test slick tyres at Jerez!

[Down F0rce]

They will be testing proper racing slicks at the upcoming winter test session, gathering data that could be useful should slicks return to F1 in 2009.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64080

[Kai]

Awesome!!!

[Bononi]

Very good news indeed.

[ralf fan]

Slicks were suppose to be back in 2008.

[Stefvh]

The project for 2008 was slick AND narrower tyres. What for 2009 ?

[SALEEN S7R]

Would be nice to have F1 back on slick tyres. The grooved tyres seem to do the job ok but ive never really liked them, narrower slicks is probably the way to go I think. Lets hope it finally happens.

[jab]

Hmm, I'm sceptical over a possible 2009 introduction

They've given us no TC, which is good. We can't expect them to give us slicks and, Heaven forbid, no winglets as well. They'd all have to have a lie down

[BootsOntheSide]

At least that way the drivers and teams would be making a big adjustment in one go. The fans are almost unanimous in preferring slicks, believing that they look better and provide more overtaking - can we all be wrong?

[Sodemo]

Wider rears please.

[Down F0rce]

Wider tyres and wider cars too!

(By the way, it's meant to say "at Jerez" )

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Stefvh

The project for 2008 was slick AND narrower tyres. What for 2009 ?

No, they wanted to go to slicks and wide track for 2008. The slicks were always going to be wider than the current tyres, as a way of ensuring more mechanical grip to offset long planned culling of the aero.

[alonso11]

some nice hi-res of that test will make a perfect desktop background for the winter

[brands]

No TC in 2008, possibly slicks in 2009.....give it ten years and we might have a real motorsport again.

[Raglanparade]

Did i hear big fat slicks and reduced Aero???

[MacMan]

about time, although just wait for Max to say no to it.

[Speedworx]

Will be interesting to see how this goes.

[JeremySmith]

Wonderful news! We are getting there ..Slowly...but...We will see..

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by MacMan

about time, although just wait for Max to say no to it.

Max is trying to push this through.Usually it is the teams that don't like change.Try telling someone that next seasons aero will be cut by 50% when they've just spent upteen million on a wind tunnel! One of the reasons that we got grooved tyres is that some teams were reluctant to lose their advantage with aero.

[Pingguest]

I'm a bit skeptical to this one. With the control tyre the re-introduction of slicks wouldn't help too much, I think. One of the main reasons for the introduction of the control tyre was to reduce the overall grip and hence the cornering speeds. If the FIA really wanted to increase the mechanical grip it could had done it years ago.

Originally Posted by martyn bott

Max is trying to push this through.Usually it is the teams that don't like change.Try telling someone that next seasons aero will be cut by 50% when they've just spent upteen million on a wind tunnel! One of the reasons that we got grooved tyres is that some teams were reluctant to lose their advantage with aero.

I don't really agree on that one. Max Mosley already proposed a ban on slick tyres in the early 1980's. (source: Lovell, Terry. Bernie's Game, 1999)

[Adam43]

I agree that a return to slicks may not offer a better race tyre. What compounds and construction will be used. It could be like concrete! Although aesthetically it will be better.

Max may well have proposed banning slicks (at least a couple of times!). However that was when there was a tyre war. That change may well make him want to push this through now.

[alonso11]

Slicks can be just as "too fast" "too dangerous" "too easy to wear" too ...beautiful, too whatever for Max no matter if there is a tire-war or not, so that hardly makes any sense.

As a matter of fact, having groves on a tire will always going to make a more complex structure than not having anything on them at all, so that more complex structure meant more playground for cheating or at least for pushing the developments towards so called grey areas where the tires' legality wasnt certain anymore. If you have slicks there is only the compound you can play with, if you have groves then obviously there are the compound and the groves, so if anything, slicks are a better match for an enviroment where two tire manufacturers are competing than groves.

[FPV GTHO]

Originally Posted by Pingguest

I'm a bit skeptical to this one. With the control tyre the re-introduction of slicks wouldn't help too much, I think. One of the main reasons for the introduction of the control tyre was to reduce the overall grip and hence the cornering speeds. If the FIA really wanted to increase the mechanical grip it could had done it years ago.

Slicks returning has always been hand in hand with major aero cuts to readjust the grip balance. If they return in 2009, it would be with the "overtaking friendly" aero rules which should be about 50% less downforce than current.

[Ogami musashi]

Nothing has been signed for Aero. The current regulations on the FIA site are not up to date.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by alonso11

Slicks can be just as "too fast" "too dangerous" "too easy to wear" too ...beautiful, too whatever for Max no matter if there is a tire-war or not, so that hardly makes any sense.

What hardly makes any sense? In a tyre war, everything is pushed to a higher limit. If your priority is to reduce this limit then you may chose grooves which have a lower limit.

With a control tyre you get to chose your limit, might as well doit with a slick tyre. Your priorities are different? This is the accepted thinking here.

As a matter of fact, having groves on a tire will always going to make a more complex structure than not having anything on them at all, so that more complex structure meant more playground for cheating or at least for pushing the developments towards so called grey areas where the tires' legality wasnt certain anymore. If you have slicks there is only the compound you can play with, if you have groves then obviously there are the compound and the groves, so if anything, slicks are a better match for an enviroment where two tire manufacturers are competing than groves.

It depends on your priorities. Is it to limit cheating, make things simple or limit the performance? Clearly the FIA chose the later and hence grooves.

Construction is still important for slicks.

[f1manoz]

Please, please, please let slicks come back!!!