2011 WRC Tyres [Archive] - Motorsport Forums

Sulland

1st September 2010, 21:18

What is the deal for tyres in 2011, can the teams use what they want og homologated tyres - or do the manufacturers have to register for WRC ?

Mirek

1st September 2010, 21:51

Tyre manufacturer had to apply before some deadline which was this week I think. They had to prepare tyres according to WRC regulations which I think stay some as they were in last couple of years. So still different tyres for WRC and other events, just two manufacturers instead of one.

Sulland

1st September 2010, 22:02

But do we know which two, because Pirelli is pulling out to concentrate on F1 are they not ?

Mirek

1st September 2010, 22:05

Michelin/BFG and Pirelli I think.

bluuford

2nd September 2010, 06:12

]Tyre manufacturer had to apply before some deadline which was this week I think. They had to prepare tyres according to WRC regulations which I think stay some as they were in last couple of years. So still different tyres for WRC and other events, just two manufacturers instead of one.

The deadline was yesterday:-)

Sulland

2nd September 2010, 08:28

The text from FIA can be found here: http://fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/wrc/2010/Pages/wrc_tyres.aspx

Here it says that the date is 15 sep for the list of approved tyres for 2011.

Who else than Michelin and Pirelli will we see on the list in your opinion ?

AndyRAC

2nd September 2010, 08:54

The text from FIA can be found here: http://fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/wrc/2010/Pages/wrc_tyres.aspx

Here it says that the date is 15 sep for the list of approved tyres for 2011.

Who else than Michelin and Pirelli will we see on the list in your opinion ?

To be honest I'm not sure there will be, though I hope I'm wrong. Last night on Total Rally they were saying that the tyre regs are so restrictive, that any new Manufacturer coming in hasn't a chance of being competitive - and that they have to have tyres ready by Nov/Dec for a FiA inspection.
It would be great to see Michelin, Pirelli, Yokohama, Dunlop, Hankook, Kuhmo, etc The more the better - and the sign of a strong series!

bluuford

2nd September 2010, 11:00

The text from FIA can be found here: http://fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/wrc/2010/Pages/wrc_tyres.aspx

Here it says that the date is 15 sep for the list of approved tyres for 2011.

Who else than Michelin and Pirelli will we see on the list in your opinion ?

I was referring to this autosport article where Michelin told that the day to show their intent was yesterday and by 13th of September they will get announcement which tire companies are permitted to produce such kind of tires.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86298

bluuford

2nd September 2010, 11:05

The deadline was yesterday and Pirelli leaves.. http://www.autosport.com/

Sulland

2nd September 2010, 11:54

Yes, and they tell some of the reasons as well. Again FIA is not easy to predict, and that is a real challenge seen from a manufacturers point of view. And it is the same here as with the car manufacturers - FIA need to give them a predictable regime, otherwise they will leave.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86311

6789

2nd September 2010, 13:11

It would have been good if the FIA couls sort their **** out. Tyre competition is good for the sport

MrMetro

15th September 2010, 13:46

michelin accepted for 2011 by fia: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86699

dmack makes wrc debut:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86703

Sulland

15th September 2010, 15:56

DMACK was a total surprise for most I guess, had been more logical with Hankook or Kuhmo. Guess more will enter in 2012, and that Hankook need more time developing and stays in IRC one more year.

DMACK info:
http://www.dmacktyres.com/
http://www.rallytyres.com/pdf/grippa_gravel_tyre_information_v2.pdf

Kankkunen has used them I read, but do not know much about them.
Hopefully they will grab some customers !

Motorsportfun

15th September 2010, 22:48

I contacted DMack today for my magazine, and they told me their aim is to be with teams from PWRC or SWRC, no Manufacturers or satellite WRC teams.

Gordini

16th September 2010, 06:59

I contacted DMack today for my magazine, and they told me their aim is to be with teams from PWRC or SWRC, no Manufacturers or satellite WRC teams.

Cool, what mag is that?

Motorsportfun

16th September 2010, 10:49

Cool, what mag is that?

Rally Emotion (http://www.rallyemotion.it) :)

Sulland

16th September 2010, 11:16

Suddenly you have a bigger group og readers ! :up:

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rallyemotion.it%2F

Sulland

12th February 2011, 09:15

How are the Dmack tyres hanging in there, an how do they compare in speed to
Michelin?

Is there a result site that also display tyrebrand ?

Mirek

12th February 2011, 10:50

Prokop and Semerád are on DMack. They haven't said anything bad about them so far.

Sulland

12th February 2011, 23:24

Would be interesting to see a test comparing the two brands, have any site, mag or team done that ?

Sulland

27th March 2011, 17:10

What was Semerads problem in potugal - had they chosen too soft compounds ?

Did it become ok once they got the hard one ?

Mirek

27th March 2011, 17:16

Opposite way, too hard initially.

Sulland

27th March 2011, 17:17

Ah ok, thx.

Has he done a comparison with Michelin, and is happy with the DMacks ?

br21

27th March 2011, 19:10

yep, he switched from hard compound G2 (nominated for Mexico, Portugal, Jordan, Greece, Australia) to medium one - G4 (nominated for Italy, Argentina, Finland and GB). probably it was better then, but we have to wait for comments from our Czech friends.
when the problem was too hard compound it means the thread was breaking and falling off the tires?

dimviii

27th March 2011, 19:34

yep, he switched from hard compound G2 (nominated for Mexico, Portugal, Jordan, Greece, Australia) to medium one - G4 (nominated for Italy, Argentina, Finland and GB). probably it was better then, but we have to wait for comments from our Czech friends.
when the problem was too hard compound it means the thread was breaking and falling off the tires?

thats right,and what i understood from googletranslate even with softer compound they didn t solve the problem but it was a little better.
Its not so easy for a new player to produce a fast/reliable tyre.Even michelin have problems as we saw at Portugal/Mexico with reliability.

Sulland

28th March 2011, 12:38

I guess DMack is going through the same process that Hankook did last year with Mikkelsen and will continue this year with Gardemeister in IRC. Michelin and Pirelli are sitting on tonns of data that the newcomers do not have. They will learn and the improvement curve will be steep in the beginning, but it is important that Semerad and the other DMack users do not give up on them. But they are probably well paid from DMack.

Nomination of compounds will be harder for them than Michelin due to lack of data, so they should maybe be given a brake from that rule from FIA.

RallyAnimal

28th March 2011, 16:26

Why do you think Ford drivers had so many tire problems compared Citroen drivers? Well... if we don't count Petter Solberg. I think that's because of Petter's style to use every cent of road and even a little more. Did Ford drivers use wider lines than Citroen drivers?

dimviii

28th March 2011, 17:06

Why do you think Ford drivers had so many tire problems compared Citroen drivers? Well... if we don't count Petter Solberg. I think that's because of Petter's style to use every cent of road and even a little more. Did Ford drivers use wider lines than Citroen drivers?
Even with no wide lines if you cut a lot a corner will have a flat tyre.So they are both that can protect from flat tyres.Also some times another point is how much air pressure you have inside the tyre...

Barreis

3rd April 2011, 22:03

It'll be interested to see how Dmack'll perform on tarmac..

Sulland

4th April 2011, 08:27

Yes it will be interesting to see them on tarmac.

Why is it that the manufacturers have to nominate tires for each rally ? Is it purely a log issue, or is it more ?

By doing it this way, you limit the driver choice, and possibility of doing a smart choice, that change the outfall of the whole rally, ala the Snow stages of this years Monte, where Delecour found some old snow tyres in the back of his van.....

AndyRAC

4th April 2011, 09:23

Yes it will be interesting to see them on tarmac.

Why is it that the manufacturers have to nominate tires for each rally ? Is it purely a log issue, or is it more ?

By doing it this way, you limit the driver choice, and possibility of doing a smart choice, that change the outfall of the whole rally, ala the Snow stages of this years Monte, where Delecour found some old snow tyres in the back of his van.....

Probably cost issues. But I agree with you - there is no chance of a driver making a gamble and gaining/ losing lots of time. Look what happened in Japan/GB 2008 - stages cancelled because mainly of wrong tyres. Ridiculous!! But hey, what do you expect - it's the WRC.

Walach

4th April 2011, 14:23

Yes it will be interesting to see them on tarmac.

Why is it that the manufacturers have to nominate tires for each rally ? Is it purely a log issue, or is it more ?

By doing it this way, you limit the driver choice, and possibility of doing a smart choice, that change the outfall of the whole rally, ala the Snow stages of this years Monte, where Delecour found some old snow tyres in the back of his van.....

That´s one of the things which I don´t like in WRC. Always it was important part of rallying, to choose right tyres depending on forecasts. For example, Monte Carlo this year - Skoda boys were fighting for win and then, after a mistake in tyre choice, they lost the rally. And that´s what I like - pure rallying!
On the other hand, if you don´t have possibility to risk by taking very different tyres than your opponent, it´s only about driving abilities and car´s performance. And that is also nice...but I like IRC system more. :)