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

It’s down to weather, normal road cars need to able to perform in the wet and dry conditions and need grooves to disperse water, otherwise they will aquaplane.

When it gets wet in F1 they change to grooved tyres for the same reason