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 tires can give normal cars more grip as well… under ideal conditions. Add a bit of rainfall and when running over water it can struggle to find a way out from under the tire surface and easily hydroplane, losing traction entirely. Similarly things like sand and grit can cause trouble, and smooth tires are often fairly soft to conform to the road surface and increase traction but also quickly wear out. Normal cars cannot take pit stops to replace their tires every 60-120 km.