Alpine in racing: clever tire management is part of it!

Tires are black, round and otherwise all the same. Not even close! Tires are a science in themselves, especially in motorsport. They form the only connection between the vehicle and the track, so tire design and management can be decisive for the race. This is particularly true of the FIA ​​World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). In the endurance series, the track conditions can change several times during one and the same race. Paul François, Performance Engineer of the Alpine Elf Matmut Endurance Team, reports on the subtle difference the tires can make in the race.

Alpine in racing

In racing, Alpine has always paid special attention to tires. From 1964, the northern French racing and sports car specialist even took an active part in the development of radial tires. The then still young tire technology was not only intended to revolutionize motorsport, but also to benefit normal motorists thanks to a tire service life that was twice as long. To clarify safety issues at high speeds, the inventor of the concept, Michelin, turned to Alpine. Thanks to their easily adjustable suspensions, the Formula 2 and Formula 3 single-seaters as well as the brand's long-distance prototypes were predestined to be a speedy test laboratory.

At the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1967, Alpine and Michelin presented another innovation that was quickly adopted by Formula 1 and is now common in racing: slicks. In dry weather, the treadless tires offer superior grip thanks to the larger contact area. So it was no surprise in 1978 that Alpine became the first Le Mans brand to win on radial slicks.

"In endurance racing you are always under pressure when it comes to tire management!" Paul François, Performance Engineer, Alpine Elf Matmut Endurance Team

Connected tires

While many drivers pay little attention to their tires - except when they have a flat tire - racing teams know how much they contribute to overall success. Modern racing tires not only consist of more than 200 different ingredients, they are also networked.

“The Michelin tires in the World Endurance Championship are equipped with sensors with which we can permanently monitor their condition,” says Paul François. “For example, we receive real-time information on the air temperatures in the jacket and carcass temperatures via an integrated laser thermometer. We always keep an eye on tire pressure as a further decisive parameter. So we can not only adjust our performance, but also drive a safe race. We recognize flat tires before the drivers even notice them. "

And that's not all for the electronics: “Long-distance racing tires have RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology and barcodes. This means that the race management can check at any time whether the teams are complying with the tire regulations, ”explains Paul François. As soon as the cars leave the pits, a gate registers the tire's identification signal.

Important for the racing strategy

The tire contingent per car in the World Endurance Championship is limited to 18 slicks for 6-hour races (including qualifying), 24 for 8-hour races and 56 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The regulations also stipulate that at pit stops you have to refuel before the tires can be changed. Only four mechanics are allowed to do this, so the work takes six times longer than in Formula 1.

The drivers, however, play a key role when it comes to implementing the teams' carefully worked out racing strategies. "The more precise their driving style and the gentler they are with the tires, the more the drivers can optimize their performance over the distance," explains Paul François. “It's the drivers alone who feel every tire deterioration, no matter how small. They have to give feedback when a change to a fresh set of rubber brings better lap times. ”For the WEC drivers, tires are much more than just round, black accessories.

Of course, that wasn't the end of it!

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