Tyre Types Will Be Visibly Distinguished

[Player(1) 0]

Formula One will adopt its own version of Champ Car-type 'red tyre' markings this season to make it easier for fans to understand what compounds drivers are using, autosport.com can reveal.

Following an 11th hour decision by the Formula One Commission and the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, a modification to F1's sporting regulations means that the two different tyre compounds must now be visibly different.

This comes after months of discussions between the teams, the FIA and Bridgestone about the situation - and how best to make the most of the regulations that forces drivers to use both hard and soft compounds in races.

Although there was a push to try and help inform the fans of what type of tyres drivers were using by making the different types of rubber look different, the teams initially resisted any move to publicise what they were doing for fear it could benefit the opposition.

As late as January it appeared that all attempts to make teams go public with their plans had failed, and instead, as Autosport revealed at the time, the FIA considered forcing teams to simply state what type of tyres they would start the race with.

However, further discussions in recent weeks have now resulted in a last-minute rule change that requires the two different compounds at races to be 'visibly' different - so the public will know what tyres each driver is using.

Formula One's revised 2007 Sporting Regulations states: "Each tyre supplier must undertake to provide no more than two specifications of dry-weather tyre at each Event, each of which must be of one homogenous compound and visibly distinguishable from one another when a car is on the track." (emphasis added)

Autosport.com understands that discussions are now taking place within Bridgestone to decide exactly what it will do to the tyres to make them appear different. A decision needs to be made soon, however, with the season starting in Australia next weekend.

A Bridgestone spokeswoman confirmed that a simple marking would be used to distinguish the tyres, as opposed to a completely different colour sidewall or tyre, as done in Champ Car.

"There will be a marking on one of the different specification of tyres," she said.

Although it has not been finalised yet, the most likely route that will be taken is for one of the compounds to be marked with a large solid white circle - big enough to ensure that the white colour is visible when the wheel is in motion.

Although it was originally suggested that F1 could follow Champ Car's example and paint the sidewall of the softer tyres red, Bridgestone baulked at that suggestion because of the costs it would entail.

The company's former technical manager Hisao Suganuma told autosport.com last year that such a move could lead to a lot of wasted tyres - because a soft tyre that needed to be painted red at one race could be a medium tyre at the following race.

"Taking account of the production of such tyres, we need to think," explained Suganuma. "For example, in Champ Car softer tyres have the red mark on the sidewall.

"Maybe we would have some difficulty because the softer tyre on a circuit may be the harder tyre on another circuit, which means we need to have all the different specifications in double colours - one with a standard sidewall and the other with a coloured sidewall.

"That makes it more difficult. If we need to do that we should think about the best way to do it."

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Well atleast it wont be tacky.

[Quiet One 15]

May I propose that all drivers stop every 10 meters or so, get out of their cars, take off their helmets and yell their names so everybody can follow who is who?

After all, it's easier to distinguish between a couple of tyre compounds than distinguish each driver's helmet.

[David Adams 0]

May I propose that all drivers stop every 10 meters or so, get out of their cars, take off their helmets and yell their names so everybody can follow who is who?

After all, it's easier to distinguish between a couple of tyre compounds than distinguish each driver's helmet.

LMAO!

Bridgestone only wanted it so that tyres werent just "another part" of the race, they wanted them to be talked about...

If the FIA wanted tyres to be talked about and messed with, why get rid of the tyre competition?

[JayStorm 0]

I was thinking that.

Ah well, sounds pretty reasonable, just hope it's not that stand-out as it might look a bit ugly on some cars.

[DarkLord 0]

May I propose that all drivers stop every 10 meters or so, get out of their cars, take off their helmets and yell their names so everybody can follow who is who?

After all, it's easier to distinguish between a couple of tyre compounds than distinguish each driver's helmet.

[monza gorilla 1]

Tacky. This is F1 for stupid people.

[Jean Todt 4]

May I propose that all drivers stop every 10 meters or so, get out of their cars, take off their helmets and yell their names so everybody can follow who is who?

After all, it's easier to distinguish between a couple of tyre compounds than distinguish each driver's helmet.

[Jean Todt 4]

LMAO!

Bridgestone only wanted it so that tyres werent just "another part" of the race, they wanted them to be talked about...

If the FIA wanted tyres to be talked about and messed with, why get rid of the tyre competition?

We will never understand the FU(KING POLITICS that still remains in F1.

[Harey 0]

May I propose that all drivers stop every 10 meters or so, get out of their cars, take off their helmets and yell their names so everybody can follow who is who?

After all, it's easier to distinguish between a couple of tyre compounds than distinguish each driver's helmet.

They could show the adverts in during those breaks!!

[Karta 0]

Well, you only need to show small portrait of driver and rest of screen filled with commercial?

[F1 FANatic 1]

I say let the drivers do all the pit work, make them jump out and change the tires and put in some gas. Maybe even have them do it in a lion cage.

this is another of those pointless changes. even without the marks you would know what tire the guy is on, all of a sudden going 2 secs a lap faster should be a tip off.