MEMBERSHIP LOGIN
JOIN PRI
Tires Could Peg Back 2017 WRC Speed Increase
Image
The expected pace increase of the 2017 World Rally Cars could be pegged back by the tire specification the faster machinery will require.
There have been concerns over the speeds next year's significant increase in power will bring, but that is forcing Michelin and DMACK into a redesign of their World Rally Championship tires.
DMACK managing director Dick Cormack said the extra power would mean much higher tire wear, and the changes required to ensure adequate longevity will reduce grip and limit speeds.
"Michelin and us are aware there will be a significant increase in the level of wear, particularly on gravel," Cormack told Autosport.
"That means a compound and possibly even a pattern change to deal with that.
"If we increase the tread width, that will give the tire more life, but at the same time you really need to reduce the gap between the tread blocks and inevitably that's going to reduce the grip."
Cormack believes the revised tires will make life even harder for the championship leader running first on the road.
"On a clean line the drivers will still get compound grip," he said, "but for the driver first on the road, it looks like there could be even less grip next year."
The prospect of limiting drivers to a single set of tires for each day of a WRC round to save costs has also been discussed, but Cormack was not in favor.
"There's a difference between the endurance side of this sport and world championship rallying," he said.
"The WRC is about going as fast as you can on every stage and running one set per day would really compromise that.
"These cars cost £450,000 each and the topic of conversations is about saving £250 on a tire—it doesn't seem to make sense."
There have been concerns over the speeds next year's significant increase in power will bring, but that is forcing Michelin and DMACK into a redesign of their World Rally Championship tires.
DMACK managing director Dick Cormack said the extra power would mean much higher tire wear, and the changes required to ensure adequate longevity will reduce grip and limit speeds.
"Michelin and us are aware there will be a significant increase in the level of wear, particularly on gravel," Cormack told Autosport.
"That means a compound and possibly even a pattern change to deal with that.
"If we increase the tread width, that will give the tire more life, but at the same time you really need to reduce the gap between the tread blocks and inevitably that's going to reduce the grip."
Cormack believes the revised tires will make life even harder for the championship leader running first on the road.
"On a clean line the drivers will still get compound grip," he said, "but for the driver first on the road, it looks like there could be even less grip next year."
The prospect of limiting drivers to a single set of tires for each day of a WRC round to save costs has also been discussed, but Cormack was not in favor.
"There's a difference between the endurance side of this sport and world championship rallying," he said.
"The WRC is about going as fast as you can on every stage and running one set per day would really compromise that.
"These cars cost £450,000 each and the topic of conversations is about saving £250 on a tire—it doesn't seem to make sense."
