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

Some road cars do come with tires that are pretty much slicks. Look up Michelin Cup 2 tires. As others have noted, the grip in wet conditions, especially in RWD cars is atrocious and dangerous. Not to mention tread life is abysmal and they are expensive to replace. They also can only be used in the summer which necessitates having a second set of wheels for winter. The only real benefit is grip in the dry and when temps are warm enough. The only kind of cars that need this grip are high performance sports cars. For the vast majority of cars on the road, the cons significantly outweigh the pros, hence why most road cars don’t use them.