Red tyres??

[sonic_roadhog]

Hey all, a wee bit quiet in here now isn't it? I can hear my keyboard echo off the walls! So I thought I'd try and get some new stuff in here.

What do you guys think to this bridgestone red tyre idea?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/55910

I know Champ cars do something similar and just wondered what you all thought about it. Generally I have to say I'm against artificial means of improving the racing but in a one make formula such as F1 now is it could present some interesting new twist. Any thoughts?

Sonic

[Pedalpusher]

If drivers are going to have to use soft and hard compound tyres over the course of practice, qually and race, then I think it's a good idea. At least you would know who was running on what type of tyre.

[Labonte Massa]

I don't like this idea. I don't think it adds excitement, it just adds strategy, and for me, excitement is on-track battles that require driver skill, not a decision on pit road. And yes, if one tire is better than the other, that will cause drivers on faster tires to be able to overtake drivers on slower tires, but, it won't make for good overtaking, because the driver on faster tires should be able to make a quick pass. And again, I mentioned driver skill, and faster tires do not mean driver skill.

Also, the rule seems pointless. There are only 2-3 pit stops per race to work with, which means the teams will all run the tires at the same time, which cancels the purpose of option tires. The only teams that will run off-cycle with the tires are teams that will be further behind and won't receive a big benefit from going off-cycle.

[sonic_roadhog]

I don't like this idea. I don't think it adds excitement, it just adds strategy, and for me, excitement is on-track battles that require driver skill, not a decision on pit road. And yes, if one tire is better than the other, that will cause drivers on faster tires to be able to overtake drivers on slower tires, but, it won't make for good overtaking, because the driver on faster tires should be able to make a quick pass. And again, I mentioned driver skill, and faster tires do not mean driver skill.

Also, the rule seems pointless. There are only 2-3 pit stops per race to work with, which means the teams will all run the tires at the same time, which cancels the purpose of option tires. The only teams that will run off-cycle with the tires are teams that will be further behind and won't receive a big benefit from going off-cycle.

Have to say I hadn't thought along those lines. I don;t get to watch much champ car nowerdays, anyone know if the same thing happens there - everyone on the red tyre at the same point?

Sonic

[Labonte Massa]

Have to say I hadn't thought along those lines. I don;t get to watch much champ car nowerdays, anyone know if the same thing happens there - everyone on the red tyre at the same point?

Sonic

I didn't watch too much Champ Car this year, but as I recall there were a lot more pit stops there which made the strategies different.

However, I think the Power to Pass in Champ creates more excitement than the option tires do.

[sonic_roadhog]

only works with a one make engine formula tho.

[Mark in Oshawa]

The Red tire thing in Champ Car works in that you can see the different mind sets of the drivers of when they use their Red's, and you can also know as a fan which team is going to a softer compound without having some talking head tell you. It may not come in as a factor in f1, but hey, more knowledge is power...

[Rollo]

This is hardly a new idea.

Back in the 80s Goodyear supplied A, B, C, D and Q compound tyres. When fuel refills were not allowed, it then became a matter of tyre choice.

Sometimes cars would go through an entire race on a set of As but as their tyres started to go off, other cars with softer compounds would come back at them.

Red tyres? Fancy gimmick for an old idea if you ask me.

[ArrowsFA1]

If nothing else it would be one visible explanation of pace. TV commentators are pretty good at keeping an eye on laptimes and speculating on why a driver is gaining or losing time, but the 'reds' would allow us spectators to see that for ourselves.

Also, if we see a driver pitting and fitting 'reds', while his rival is still on 'blacks' it could lead to a bit of excitement for a while

[Ranger]

Champcar Innovations could be coming to F1 like wildfire in a few years.

The 2007 CCWS Panoz DP01 will have a start button in the event that a car stalls on track.

You can bet that that invention will become part of Formula One within the next 5 years.

And the tyres, of course, is another good idea - and the slicks...