How to Choose the Best Motorsport Tires?

In the matter of selecting the best motorsport tires, the most significant factors to keep into consideration are the size, load index, and speed rating since these will determine the fuel efficiency and safety of your car as well. Although all tires are designed for the same purpose, i.e. to provide the required grip on the road, when it comes to choosing an OEM tire there are certain pointers to take into account. Leading tire manufacturers like Giti Tire have tied up with top auto manufacturers through OEM partnerships where the tires designed by Giti are featured in more than 600 vehicles.

OEM tires are known for complementing specific types of vehicles. For example, in the case of motorsports, tire manufacturers will design tires that are ideal for better steering and overall performance. Here’s a glimpse of the different types of racing tires that can be commonly used at present.

Different types of circuit racing tires

Tires for dry weather

In dry weather, many racing championships often prefer using slick tires on vehicles. Slick tires fundamentally have smooth tread and thus feature a completely smooth surface. This type of tire has zero grooves cut into the tread which results in the smoothness of the tires. This way, the tire provides the broadest possible contact patch to the surface in order to increase dry traction for every tire dimension. Slick tires are commonly used on racing grounds and for road racing purposes since they are ideal for steering, acceleration, and braking on such tracks.

Tires for wet weather

Unlike slick tires, those designed for wet surfaces have the most aggressive tread pattern for maximum grip. The specific tread pattern features vertical grooves and curved grooves that help to shift a significant amount of water outwards and provides the tires with better grip in poor road conditions.

Tires for multipurpose driving conditions

This type of circuit tire falls somewhat between the slicks and the ones ideal for wet surfaces. The semi-slick tires come with a combination of grooves but aren’t equally effective on wet surfaces. Semi-slick tires have a substantial amount of tire surface along with adequate grip in the dry. Due to the grooves, these tires also have enough channeling to deal with wet surfaces without aquaplaning. For such reasons, semi-slick tires are considered an all-rounder on racing grounds.

With that being said, let’s take a look at what factors determine the buying decision behind a tire purchase and why for most car owners.

Determine tire compounds

Tires that are designed for tracks and circuits may come in different compounds that can be referred to as hard, medium, or soft, based on the rubber tread construction of the tire. Softer compounds generally provide a better amount of grip but tend to wear off easily compared to other rubber compounds. Harder compounds, on the other hand, may lack grip but are superior in durability.

However, when it comes to racing, there are multiple variables to consider while opting for the tire compound. For tires to run properly in both dry and wet conditions, you need to find a fine balance between weather conditions, temperature, and surface type. While softer tires might seem like the go-to option when it comes to better gripping, they have a higher possibility of wearing out quickly.

Considering the performance of the tire

There is a lot more to consider apart from determining the compounds of a tire. Since tires are the dynamic parts of a vehicle, there are a few factors to be aware of when it comes to understanding how a tire works. The performance of a tire majorly depends on the contact patch, i.e. the amount of tread in contact with the road. Irrespective of the size of the tire, the contact patch is comparatively smaller for every type of tire. It becomes highly crucial when getting the most out of the smaller surface area when determining the effectiveness of a tire.

Understanding tire pressure

The amount of air inside a tire can directly influence the overall performance of the tire. Because the level of flexibility in the rubber influences the tire pressure that eventually impacts the contact patch. Where high tire pressure limits the size of the contact patch as well as the grip associated with it, it can improve the overall stability of the car, especially when cornering. Low tire pressure, on the other hand, offers a larger contact patch but may lack stability as well as affect the tire under a certain amount of load.

Last Words

The decision-making process of selecting the right tire for motorsports depends on multiple factors, as mentioned above, as well as different weather conditions.