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

The tires need to reach a specific temperature in order for them to have the proper grip; the temperature is reached by the racing style and speed of F1 cars which a “normal” car will never reach.

Not only are they smooth which allows more surface grip but are also softer which makes them grippier to the road. Those types of tires are called slick because of their smoothness. The down down side is that they will lose all grip if the road is wet as the tires will aquaplane; meaning that the tires will glide on the surface of the water. They also wear out quickly; because they are designed for performance and not longevity. They last about 45 miles (72km).