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

Very simple. It’s the rubber that gives the grip. The tread is there just to get rid of water on the road when it’s wet. If it never rained, normal cars would all run slicks.

Racing slicks also come in differnt compounds of hardness form soft to hard for pretty obvious reasons.