2022 Tyres Thread

[Jolle]

More shots of the Mercedes testing. IMO the rims don't look too bad but the tyre look oversized, especially in the side profile. I find the same thing with the F2.
@AlbertFabrega
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EzasYzdUYAU ... ame=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EzasZLmVEAM ... ame=medium

Did Mercedes and the others build specific, bigger diameter, wheel drums for these wheels or do they simply close the gap between the hub and the rim (on the inside face)?

Probably a combination of both. Modifying the 13” design to fit the 18” rims.

[jjn9128]

Did Mercedes and the others build specific, bigger diameter, wheel drums for these wheels or do they simply close the gap between the hub and the rim (on the inside face)?

To be honest I'm not entirely certain what they're allowed to change. Got to be some suspension/upright adjustments for the different loading. Beyond that I don't know if they're running 2022 sized brakes to accurately simulate the warmup?

[Morteza]

Bottas testing for Mercedes today

[mzso]

They kept the tires so fat, it barely looks different.

[Blackout]

Did Mercedes and the others build specific, bigger diameter, wheel drums for these wheels or do they simply close the gap between the hub and the rim (on the inside face)?

To be honest I'm not entirely certain what they're allowed to change. Got to be some suspension/upright adjustments for the different loading. Beyond that I don't know if they're running 2022 sized brakes to accurately simulate the warmup?

Alfa tested these big drums, but they seem to have current discs

[jjn9128]

Alfa tested these big drums, but they seem to have current discs
https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/upl ... 5-19-3.jpg

I don't think they're allowed to run the 2022 brakes because it's ostensibly a 2019 car.

[Morteza]

Haas testing the 18-inch wheels

[JordanMugen]

Before that, the 1979 Alfa Romeo Tipo 17 used 635mm x 241mm R15 for the front and 737mm x 330mm R13 at the rear.

It seems Alan Jones and Neal Oatley are also talking about a choice 15" rear tyres in the 1981 film "Gentleman lift you skirts", so there were both 15" fronts and rears available up to the point that FIA mandated 13" tyres, so I don't understand where the notion of devotion to 13" tyres & high profile rubber came from, from some F1 fan quarters?

Tyres are provided by the nominated supplier. The tyre supplier doesn't want to make 13 inch tyres because they can't market them to boy/girl racers in their 2.0 litre hatchbacks.

1979: 635mm x 241mm R15
vs 2022: 725mm x 270mm(IIRC) R18

By any measure ( 635 mm - 15" ) / 2 = 127 mm sidewall in '79 and ( 725 mm - 18" ) / 2 = 134 mm sidewall in '22 are very similar sidewalls.

Why a devotion to 13" tyres, when F1 cars historically used 15" low profile front tyres in the 1970's up to the point 13" was mandated?

For reference, the 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfasud Ti 1.5L hot hatchback was available with optional 16" wheels for maximum boy/girl racer bling! The Ti shod in 195/40 R16 would've been positively jaunty at the time, and had a similar 40% profile to the 225/40 R18 found on a modern 1.75L Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce.

[jjn9128]

Before that, the 1979 Alfa Romeo Tipo 17 used 635mm x 241mm R15 for the front and 737mm x 330mm R13 at the rear.

It seems Alan Jones and Neal Oatley are also talking about a choice 15" rear tyres in the 1981 film "Gentleman lift you skirts", so there were both 15" fronts and rears available up to the point that FIA mandated 13" tyres, so I don't understand where the notion of devotion to 13" tyres & high profile rubber came from, from some F1 fan quarters?

Tyres are provided by the nominated supplier. The tyre supplier doesn't want to make 13 inch tyres because they can't market them to boy/girl racers in their 2.0 litre hatchbacks.

1979: 635mm x 241mm R15
vs 2022: 725mm x 270mm(IIRC) R18

By any measure ( 635 mm - 15" ) / 2 = 127 mm sidewall in '79 and ( 725 mm - 18" ) / 2 = 134 mm sidewall in '22 are very similar sidewalls.

Why a devotion to 13" tyres, when F1 cars historically used 15" low profile front tyres in the 1970's up to the point 13" was mandated?

IIRC 13" were mandated at the rear before they were at the front. From the rulebooks I have by '77 the rears had to be 13" but the fronts were free. I'm not sure why 13" is so beloved, what I object to is the tyres getting taller with the shift to 18" rims.

[Stu]

Before that, the 1979 Alfa Romeo Tipo 17 used 635mm x 241mm R15 for the front and 737mm x 330mm R13 at the rear.

It seems Alan Jones and Neal Oatley are also talking about a choice 15" rear tyres in the 1981 film "Gentleman lift you skirts", so there were both 15" fronts and rears available up to the point that FIA mandated 13" tyres, so I don't understand where the notion of devotion to 13" tyres & high profile rubber came from, from some F1 fan quarters?

Tyres are provided by the nominated supplier. The tyre supplier doesn't want to make 13 inch tyres because they can't market them to boy/girl racers in their 2.0 litre hatchbacks.

1979: 635mm x 241mm R15
vs 2022: 725mm x 270mm(IIRC) R18

By any measure ( 635 mm - 15" ) / 2 = 127 mm sidewall in '79 and ( 725 mm - 18" ) / 2 = 134 mm sidewall in '22 are very similar sidewalls.

Why a devotion to 13" tyres, when F1 cars historically used 15" low profile front tyres in the 1970's up to the point 13" was mandated?

IIRC 13" were mandated at the rear before they were at the front. From the rulebooks I have by '77 the rears had to be 13" but the fronts were free. I'm not sure why 13" is so beloved, what I object to is the tyres getting taller with the shift to 18" rims.

Same here, not that I am a fan of the low-profile look, but the shift to larger rims should have been done in conjunction with maintaining the OD of the existing tyres. The new solution is being pushed as a low-profile, but really isn’t much different to that currently fitted. In the current safety-conscious age, surely someone has pointed out that drivers will be able to see less because of the extra tyre height?

[jjn9128]

Same here, not that I am a fan of the low-profile look, but the shift to larger rims should have been done in conjunction with maintaining the OD of the existing tyres. The new solution is being pushed as a low-profile, but really isn’t much different to that currently fitted. In the current safety-conscious age, surely someone has pointed out that drivers will be able to see less because of the extra tyre height?

Plus with the covers, just use a 15" or 16" and slap the cover on to make pretend it's an 18" wheel underneath. Most punters wouldn't know the difference.

[MtthsMlw]

With aero covers

[Sevach]

Same here, not that I am a fan of the low-profile look, but the shift to larger rims should have been done in conjunction with maintaining the OD of the existing tyres. The new solution is being pushed as a low-profile, but really isn’t much different to that currently fitted. In the current safety-conscious age, surely someone has pointed out that drivers will be able to see less because of the extra tyre height?

It is a much lower profile sidewall, i would say it's now comparable to what LMPs and GT cars have run for the last decade at least.
It is still taller than what "extreme" road cars use, i'll give you that.

Not much problem with taller tires for the driver i think, when they look into a turn they watch their inside wheel over the curb/apex, and on wheel to wheel action it literally gives them a bigger object to see.

[djos]

I do like them, but I'd have prefered they didnt make the tires so tall in the process.

[mclaren111]

The front tyres should've been 16"...