Why were slicks banned in f1

We began testing our first grooved tyres in with Damon Hill. The first tyres were a modified slick to let us understand the differences and requirements of a grooved tyre.

The data we gained also proved to us that we needed a very strong construction of front tyre. We re-designed the size and shape of the front for a wider tyre and one with a larger diameter. This worked very well and we could manage car behaviour better than with the previous size. Grooved tyres proved to be good for Bridgestone with the first pole position, race win and fastest lap all achieved in their very first race of grooves, the Australian Grand Prix.

Bridgestone and the Formula One teams and their drivers have worked with grooved tyres for over ten seasons now so the change in the regulations for next year means a lot of work between now and the start of next season. Formula One teams have been designing cars to work with grooved, dry racing tyres for a long time, so the information that teams previously held on running with slick tyres is completely out of date. They realised that by running no tread patterns on dry weather tyres, the tyre-to-road grip could be maximised.

This went on for a really long time until the season. The sole purpose of the move was to curb the increasing cornering speeds. Those grooved tyres had three parallel grooves in the front tyres and four parallel grooves in the rear tyres. These longitudinal grooves needed to be at least 2. As a result, the tyre manufacturers and teams were faced with new challenges.

From its inaugural season in until the season, F1 tyres were manufactured by companies, Pirelli, Firestone, Dunlop, Englebert, Avon, and Continental. For the first three years, it was a battle between Pirelli, Dunlop and Englebert. Firestone joined the fray in but only for one season. Avon and Continental entered in but all three manufacturers were intermittent. Pirelli, Dunlop and Englebert dominated the proceedings until From the Formula One season onwards until the next six years, Dunlop was the sole tyre manufacturer for Formula One racing except for a couple of teams using Goodyear from onwards.

Then for almost two decades till the s the tyre compounds were provided by Dunlop, Goodyear, and the returning Firestone. Dunlop disappeared completely in the Formula One season, with only Goodyear and Firestone as the suppliers. Second, it ended the tyre war, as Goodyear left F1 after , unhappy with the grooved tyre regulations.

They were not the only ones — reigning champions Villeneuve was just one of many critics of the tyres, although he was surely the most vehement. Following an additional groove was added to the front tyres to further cut speeds.

Then in the FIA moved to end the new tyre war between Michelin and Bridgestone, by insisting on a single tyre supplier. Got a potential story, tip or enquiry?

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