Eli5: why some racing tyres are slicks and working better than thoses with grooves but road car tyres works the opposite way??
In: Engineering
Because in a racing car, “better” means “faster” while in a normal car “better” means “better stability & control in all weather.”
Slicks are the fastest option for dry road. When it rains racecars will also have grooved tires to prevent hydroplaning (grooves are slower than slicks but you’d rather be slow than spin out and crash)
Normal cars have to be able to drive well in all conditions- sun, rain, even snow. There is not as much pressure for tires to be as fast as possible because, well, most people are driving near the speed limit anyway. On the other hand, there’s a lot of pressure for tires to have good stability, since driving with slicks in the rain and snow won’t get you very far.
So it just comes down to your definition of “working better.” For a race car, “working better” means “having optimal speed” so you choose slicks (weather permitting). For a normal car “working better” means “having optimal control” so you choose tires with a tread.
Latest Answers