Poll on F1 tyre companies

[WhiteBlue]

It appears that tyre suppliers are in F1 to convince people of their abilities and promote their brands. I thought it would be a good idea to find out how good a job the four F1 tyre suppliers of the last decade did in the view of the people who read F1technical. So if you ask yourself the question who would I give my vote for the best work in F1 if I were a team principal and had to make a decision on tyre supply who would you vote for?

The suppliers are listed in the historical order they appeared during the last decade in F1. You have one vote to cast. You can change your mind if the discussion convinces you to do so.

So let's have a lively discussion if you like the subject.

[Cam]

Why just those 4? Pirelli are not going to do well on this poll, for obvious reasons. A better poll would be to vote but back it up with why, and let some of the other manufacturers in too. Personally, none of those I would pick as none of them want to be a part of F1. Some want nothing to do with F1 at all, others have only self interest or conditional reasons. Really, we should be looking closely at the tyre companies, their products, their believes, corporate culture, communication and willingness to lift F1 over and above their own interests. This is the only way you'll find a supplier who'll not compromise on safety, not perform dodgy tests, not tell half truths and will put the very best tyre on the best cars on earth.

Personally, I'd get a smaller company with everything to prove, a shot. Find someone else to carry the FOM signage sponsorship - which is the only reason Pirelli are here.

[WhiteBlue]

Well we could put Hankook up there but they have never invested in F1 and why should the fans have a perception of them and attribute any merits? The poll is more about firms that are familiar to us than rookies.

The current four brands of this survey have heavily invested and it will be interesting to me and hopefully all of us to see if they have wisely spent their money to convince us.

The poll is meant to be re visited in the years to come and you can always change your mind.

[Cold Fussion]

Probably Goodyear if we have to have a single supplier.

[MOWOG]

the very best tyre on the best cars on earth.

As Shakespeare would say, "Ahh, there's the rub." What makes a tire "best". Longevity? Grip? Light weight? Nice colors on the sidewalls? What Ferrari thinks is best may not be what Mercedes thinks is best. What you think is best may not be what I think is best.

I have cast my vote for Goodyear, because my memory says that when they were involved with Formula One, there was very little drama associated with their products. The cars raced, they came in for fuel and tires, and a winner was declared. Imho, all this tire BS is a direct result of banning refueling during the race. Once refueling goes away, tires become the only significant parameter that changes during the race other than the level of fluid in the driver's water bottle.

I like the single tire supplier model. When Bridgestone and Michelin were in it together, there was too much emphasis on which tires a team chose to run with.

As for F1 cars being the "best"...... By who's standard? I will grant they are the best 4 wheeled aerodynamic racing experiments on earth. But are they better than a Le Mans racer? An Aussie V8 Supercar? People could debate those questions forever and never reach a consensus.

[WhiteBlue]

I remember back in the nineties I discovered that they had given me Goodyears on my company car and I was very pleased by this. To have the brand that supplied F1 on my car was giving me a good feeling. But then Goodyear and later Bridgestone had a much more conservative and safety minded approach to F1 than the newer suppliers have now.
Edit: Removed comment related to early voting balance.

[GSpeedR]

Goodyear screwed up Indy (2009) in Nascar on a similar scale to the Michelin Indy debacle.

[rjsa]

If history really warranted future performance - what I do not believe is true - the choice would be Bridgestone.

Pirelli, Michelin and Goodyear each one had a big fiasco in the past 10 years or so.

[krisfx]

Chose Michelin,

Other than their Indy fiasco, they have really impressed me recently.

I would love to see their "Slick" intermediate tyre a bit more, and I think they have a lot to give.

Other than these guys I would love bridgestones back

[SectorOne]

Bridgestone or Michelin. Hell even throw in Hankook in there for fun.
Just something that doesn´t look like it had integrated bombs in them.

Voted Michelin though.

[Jersey Tom]

If history really warranted future performance - what I do not believe is true - the choice would be Bridgestone.

Pirelli, Michelin and Goodyear each one had a big fiasco in the past 10 years or so.

Difference being Michelin and Goodyear fixed their problems and moved on...

[WhiteBlue]

Goodyear screwed up Indy (2009) in Nascar on a similar scale to the Michelin Indy debacle.

I would not consider that so much for F1. And screw ups can happen, no doubt about it. The question is how you deal with them. Being accused as a customer is absurd. Did Goodyear ever do that?

[Sombrero]

What about Firestone ?



http://www.statsf1.com/en/firestone.aspx

They already have a Firestone "F-1" tire.

http://www.petestirestore.com/Firestone ... p2250.html

Last time seen in Argentina 1975 on Andretti's Parnelli (also a nr 27) !

[rjsa]

If history really warranted future performance - what I do not believe is true - the choice would be Bridgestone.

Pirelli, Michelin and Goodyear each one had a big fiasco in the past 10 years or so.

Difference being Michelin and Goodyear fixed their problems and moved on...

And Pirelli is not allowed by the rules. Can't even test to figure it out without raising a sh!t storm.

Every one can screw up. Even Boeing did it latelly. Nasa does once in a awhile.

[FoxHound]

And Pirelli is not allowed by the rules. Can't even test to figure it out without raising a sh!t storm.

Every one can screw up. Even Boeing did it latelly. Nasa does once in a awhile.

Agreed.
It's left to the teams to decide....how can the FIA allow that?

Pirelli had a solution but weren't allowed to bring it due to some teams misgivings. This situation is not a fault of Pirelli, and entirely a governance issue.