F1 car tyres have no treads. Why is that?

Question

F1 car tyres have no treads. Why is that?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

F1 cars require a huge amount of grip when cornering at high speeds and to maximise grip, you maximise the area of the tyre in contact with the track.

The main purpose of treads is to channel water out from under the tyre to maximise the contact area with the road (and not the surface water). Without the tread, the tyres will aquaplane and you’ll lose traction with the road, meaning that you won’t be able to safely control the car.

In summary, F1 cars use slicks (smooth tyres) in dry conditions for maximum grip and use treaded tyres for wet conditions to prevent the car aquaplaning.