Eli5 – F1 cars have smooth tyres for grip yet on a normal car this would be certain death. Why do smooth tyres give F1 cars more grip yet normal cars less grip?

Question

Eli5 – F1 cars have smooth tyres for grip yet on a normal car this would be certain death. Why do smooth tyres give F1 cars more grip yet normal cars less grip?

In: 3088

Answer 1

Smooth is better when dry and road/track is clean.

Grooved is better in other situations.

F1 cars swap to non-smooth tyres in the rain. Because they can. They do pit-stops.

You can’t swap, can you? You drive on normal roads, which are likely to be wet, or have gravel, or dirt, or stuff on them.

So you need grooved tyres, because it is very rare that you will be able to make use of smooth tyres.