PNSD wrote:Well as I said, I dont know. But my best guess is that the tyre quality today is better than in the early 90's.
One of the pre-race interviews two seasons ago had Pat Symonds (I think) talking about tires and traction - and how they could calculate the optimum amount of minute slippage to get the best traction. In it he said (they were still using grooved tires at this stage) the current tires had something like 50% more grip than the slicks of the early 90s. That would give a fair ideas of how much improved the tire technology is.
Now that they're back on slicks it could potentially be even moreso (factoring in they probably hardened the tires up).
Also factor in the far better understanding of suspension geometry and tire shape etc nowdays which probably improves things yet again on some level (speed, wear or warming them up).