The last time tyre manufacturer wars featured in every auto racing competitions universe

[theriusDR3]

Here are the all auto racing tournaments universe that featured tyre manufacturer competition war for the last time:



Formula 1 - 2006 (Bridgestone VS Michelin)



IRL IndyCar Series - 1999 (Firestone VS Goodyear)




CART Champ Car - 1999 (Firestone VS Goodyear)



NASCAR Cup Series - 1994 (Goodyear VS Hoosier)



IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship - 2018 (Continental VS Michelin)

Any additions?

[Scorpaguy]

I seem to recall that the "wars" were, at best "battles". With one brand seeming to either have the upper hand throughout the season or until the other brand spent more cash/out developed the other....

...or one tyre just performing better at one track than the other (ala the RB vs Merc chassis/engine times we have today). It was nice in that It did toss in a few variables...just not sure it played a role in the best car/driver being able to win the race.

[Zynerji]

I seem to recall that the "wars" were, at best "battles". With one brand seeming to either have the upper hand throughout the season or until the other brand spent more cash/out developed the other....

...or one tyre just performing better at one track than the other (ala the RB vs Merc chassis/engine times we have today). It was nice in that It did toss in a few variables...just not sure it played a role in the best car/driver being able to win the race.

Agreed.

Nothing made it worse than a team bringing a huge update in 2006, just to find that their tyre supplier sucked on that particular circuit...

[Scorpaguy]

True...but was nice to see "Hoosier" plastered all over the sides of Cup cars!

The concept could be a bit more viable with today's manufacturing processes and QAQC surveillance capabilities.

[Zynerji]

I think each team should build their own tyres, and partner with a tyre manufacturer. Kind of how fuel and oil suppliers work, except the teams control their own tyre nuance through construction.

Couple tyre molds, small staff, manufacturer does all the r&d and safety design.

[Stu]

I think each team should build their own tyres, and partner with a tyre manufacturer. Kind of how fuel and oil suppliers work, except the teams control their own tyre nuance through construction.

Couple tyre molds, small staff, manufacturer does all the r&d and safety design.

Can you imagine the arguments about tolerance on roundness!!! It would be like the Michelin/Bridgestone (when is the sidewall a part of the tread….) tyre war x10!!

Most ‘regular’ people just think “they’re black, they’re round, they roll along the ground…”

[AngusF1]

Bringing back tyre competition would result in tyres the drivers could actually drive to their grip limits rather than having to pootle around ten seconds off qualifying time in the name of thematic “conservation”. It would never be allowed!

Only a tyre monopoly can ensure that drivers each weekend are greeted with forty wheels of cheese rather than anything resembling what we would commonly understand as rubber.

[Zynerji]

I think each team should build their own tyres, and partner with a tyre manufacturer. Kind of how fuel and oil suppliers work, except the teams control their own tyre nuance through construction.

Couple tyre molds, small staff, manufacturer does all the r&d and safety design.

Can you imagine the arguments about tolerance on roundness!!! It would be like the Michelin/Bridgestone (when is the sidewall a part of the tread….) tyre war x10!!

Most ‘regular’ people just think “they’re black, they’re round, they roll along the ground…”

I mean, you could spec the chromed molds to fix that. I do like the shiny tyres!

[DiogoBrand]

It's always intriguing to see when there's a change of regulations to eliminate a problem, only for people to demand the problem back 15 years later.

With Pirelli we already had conspiracy theories like "Pirelli changed the compounds to benefit Mercedes", imagine what would happen if we had different suppliers. You could take every precaution to make sure every supplier gave the same product to each team and still have people questioning if they're being favoured somehow.

[Zynerji]

It's always intriguing to see when there's a change of regulations to eliminate a problem, only for people to demand the problem back 15 years later.

With Pirelli we already had conspiracy theories like "Pirelli changed the compounds to benefit Mercedes", imagine what would happen if we had different suppliers. You could take every precaution to make sure every supplier gave the same product to each team and still have people questioning if they're being favoured somehow.

Not if the teams manufacture in-house. Unless you are saying that if a manufacturer teamed with a few teams that they might help one with better data than the other?

[Just_a_fan]

I think each team should build their own tyres, and partner with a tyre manufacturer. Kind of how fuel and oil suppliers work, except the teams control their own tyre nuance through construction.

Couple tyre molds, small staff, manufacturer does all the r&d and safety design.

One word: testing.

No one is going to be able to develop tyres without it. So we're either in the realms of mule cars or we allow in-season testing.

Back when it was Bridgestone vs Michelin, Bridgestone and Ferrari would test every week, deciding on the tyre for the next race. Minardi got the left overs that Ferrari didn't want. The occasional Minardi good results were down to them getting lucky with the left overs.

The change to the rules requiring no tyre changes is what ended the Ferrari stranglehold on the championship - Bridgestone couldn't make a fast tyre that lasted: it was one or the other. Michelin's tyres were better at this compromise. Result was two titles for Alonso. Without that tyre rule change, Schumacher would probably have had 8 or 9 titles!

Tyres are too important to a car's performance to be just devised in an office, made and then raced without a lot of testing. Look at Pirelli's problems before they got the additional tyre testing agreement from the FIA.

[Zynerji]

I think each team should build their own tyres, and partner with a tyre manufacturer. Kind of how fuel and oil suppliers work, except the teams control their own tyre nuance through construction.

Couple tyre molds, small staff, manufacturer does all the r&d and safety design.

One word: testing.

No one is going to be able to develop tyres without it. So we're either in the realms of mule cars or we allow in-season testing.

Back when it was Bridgestone vs Michelin, Bridgestone and Ferrari would test every week, deciding on the tyre for the next race. Minardi got the left overs that Ferrari didn't want. The occasional Minardi good results were down to them getting lucky with the left overs.

The change to the rules requiring no tyre changes is what ended the Ferrari stranglehold on the championship - Bridgestone couldn't make a fast tyre that lasted: it was one or the other. Michelin's tyres were better at this compromise. Result was two titles for Alonso. Without that tyre rule change, Schumacher would probably have had 8 or 9 titles!

Tyres are too important to a car's performance to be just devised in an office, made and then raced without a lot of testing. Look at Pirelli's problems before they got the additional tyre testing agreement from the FIA.

I'm a big BIG fan of allowing in-season testing now that there is a budget cap. Although, it would still be a bit unfair for those that own their own private test track (like Ferrari)...

[DiogoBrand]

It's always intriguing to see when there's a change of regulations to eliminate a problem, only for people to demand the problem back 15 years later.

With Pirelli we already had conspiracy theories like "Pirelli changed the compounds to benefit Mercedes", imagine what would happen if we had different suppliers. You could take every precaution to make sure every supplier gave the same product to each team and still have people questioning if they're being favoured somehow.

Not if the teams manufacture in-house. Unless you are saying that if a manufacturer teamed with a few teams that they might help one with better data than the other?

Yeah that would surely be cost effective. While they're at it they could also demand that every team builds their own power unit, builds their own brakes, and also that every team creates their own fuel and lubricants.

[Zynerji]

It's always intriguing to see when there's a change of regulations to eliminate a problem, only for people to demand the problem back 15 years later.

With Pirelli we already had conspiracy theories like "Pirelli changed the compounds to benefit Mercedes", imagine what would happen if we had different suppliers. You could take every precaution to make sure every supplier gave the same product to each team and still have people questioning if they're being favoured somehow.

Not if the teams manufacture in-house. Unless you are saying that if a manufacturer teamed with a few teams that they might help one with better data than the other?

Yeah that would surely be cost effective. While they're at it they could also demand that every team builds their own power unit, builds their own brakes, and also that every team creates their own fuel and lubricants.

It's another couple machines and 4ppl.

Way to much, I agree

[DiogoBrand]

Not if the teams manufacture in-house. Unless you are saying that if a manufacturer teamed with a few teams that they might help one with better data than the other?

Yeah that would surely be cost effective. While they're at it they could also demand that every team builds their own power unit, builds their own brakes, and also that every team creates their own fuel and lubricants.

It's another couple machines and 4ppl.

Way to much, I agree

If only I knew you only need a couple of machines and 4 people to design and manufacture tyres...
Michelin would be bankrupt by now.