![f1 2017 tires f1 2017 tires](https://www.rctech.net/forum/attachments/r-c-items-sale-trade/1447052d1508333432-sale-2017-roche-rapide-f1-like-new-img_2031.jpg)
We will also use the maximum permitted wheel width, as there is a range of 50mm to work with on the front wheels, and a 15mm range on the rear wheels. Let’s work out these volumes to compare the difference, using dry tyres. In fact, most of an F1 car’s suspension travel is within the tyres flexing, so reducing the available volume increases the need for larger suspension components which take larger loads. Highlighted is the available tyre area the two wheel designs offer. This is important when considering the volume of air inside the respective tyres, which has a significant impact on how the suspension works. What’s different about the two wheel designs?Ĭurrently the tyre surrounds a thirteen inch diameter rim, so there is lots of space to fill the tyre with air in comparison to an eighteen inch diameter rim, as you can see in this comparison view. The width of the front wheel can lie anywhere between 305mm and 355mm, and 365-380mm on the rear. This diameter increases to 670mm for wet tyres due to the tread block height. So why are 18 inch wheels becoming an increasingly popular size in motorsport? Formula E tyres (which are supplied by Michelin) are wrapped around the larger sized alloy rim, but what difference does this make to the car’s performance? This blog post aims to answer these exact questions.įor dry tyres, the overall diameter of both the wheel and tyre must not exceed 660mm, which is just about 26 inches – the same as you’d find on a normal bicycle. Whilst Pirelli have tested the former wheel concept a few times over the past two years, they do not seem overly fussed as to which direction the sport takes and, to top it all off, the teams would rather stick with the current design. Michelin will only supply tyres if they are able to manufacture 18 inch wheels, rather than the current standard of 13 inches.
![f1 2017 tires f1 2017 tires](https://i.redd.it/s41jj7mydz001.jpg)
Bernie Ecclestone has to decide whether he wants Pirelli or Michelin (or perhaps both) to produce tyres for Formula 1 from 2017 onwards, but he has a few factors to consider.