Why Do F1 Tires Look So Shiny?

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Seemingly everything successful Formula 1 is tailor-made for nan world's largest racing series. Nations astir nan globe person built FIA Grade-1 circuits hoping for nan opportunity to 1 time big nan walking circus. The regulations' space-age turbocharged 1.6-liter V6 is simply a powerplant dissimilar immoderate different successful motorsports, yet Audi, Cadillac, and Ford are each taking a ace astatine it successful nan coming years arsenic joining motor suppliers.

Nothing comes arsenic exclusive, however, arsenic Pirelli. The lone tyre supplier for Formula One, nan Italian marque has been supplying rubber to F1 since 2011. With a emblematic title play chewing done 1,500 tires, and complete 40,000 tires made annually, Pirelli has learned plentifulness of lessons complete nan past decade connected really to make nan cleanable racing tire.

One of these innovations has resulted successful a fresh, glossier look for tires. A look not conscionable unsocial to F1, but 1 that came retired of necessity for Pirelli, arsenic nan marque had to rethink nan measurement it made tires to meet nan league's level of value and standardization.

Jie Zhao/Getty Images

To understand nan shine, we first request to understand really tires are made. Once a tire's soul alloy star and outer rubber and tread are mated together, they are prepared for nan last and astir important process of nan production: vulcanization. The assembled "green" tires are placed successful a metallic mold, and nan tyre is past inflated and superheated, hardening nan rubber significantly, and giving nan 2 wet-weather compounds — the green-colored intermediate and blue-striped afloat wet — their iconic treads. 

Pirelli has six flavors of slick compounds it tin bring to each weekend, ranging from nan long-lasting C1 each nan measurement to nan hypersoft C6. Every greenish tyre goes into nan mold precisely nan same; it's nan somesthesia and power of their vulcanization that separates each compound's softness and durability.

After being baked, nan tires spell done dense inspection from Pirelli's technicians. From ocular analysis, to weighing and measuring each compound to thorough x-ray scans, engineers guarantee that nan tyre is wholly sound from nan wrong out.

cristiano barni/Shutterstock

It was during these inspections successful 2018 that Pirelli noticed an issue. When nan softest compounds — past nan C4 and C5 rubber — were done baking, they wanted to instrumentality to nan mold. This not only made it difficult for tires to beryllium removed, but resulted successful an inconsistency from tyre to tire. With nan softs now prone to blemishes and marks connected nan tread, Pirelli needed a solution for a bid pinch regulations truthful standardized.

The solution came successful utilizing chrome molds, which instantly showed little adhesive and much accordant results successful production. This had an absorbing broadside effect, though, pinch nan now-iconic glossy radiance connected nan outside. Pirelli first tested nan compounds successful 2018 successful Formula 2, earlier being afloat integrated successful each Formula 1 compounds nan pursuing season.

Despite nan finish, nan caller manufacturing process showed nary quality successful nan tires' performance. However, nan gloss made it acold easier for fans and teams to differentiate tyre wear, pinch nan now-iconic radiance being a motion of caller rubber.