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Ok, again like in Indianapolis Michelin suffered a lot of tire punctures all
were rear-right tires! I think that was a couse of an structural faliure:)
What do you guys think?
I think Pierre Dupasquier will have a lot of explaining to do!
Yes. And if my memory serves me correctly there were a lot of punctures at Bahrain too. The reason was found to be a loose fence on a well or something. The interesting thing is that all five or six punctures were Michelin tyres then too. So that's three races with loads of Michelins blowing up while Bridgestone tyrepunctures remain almost as rare as a technical failure on a ferrari.
if you notice, there is a corrolation between bad crashes and tire failure. (U.S grand prix and now today).
what they need to do is instead of bringing out the damn saftety car, red flag the race and sweep the track clean. Someone needs to wake up and realize that. (Max, if you're concerned about safety, implement red flag after a bad crash).
i think they are trying to incorporate kevlar into the CF in suspension components and possibly the whole chassis to control sharp CF debris.
(and before you say that only Michellin failed, you have to realize the ratio of Michellin runner vs. Bridgestone runner... since there are a LOT more Michellin runners in the race, they have a higher probability of picking up debris and thus higher probability of tire failure.)
Well there are 6 Michelin and 4 Bridgestone teams... So that doesn't explain why only michelin tyres blow up, debris or no debris. 3 out of six michelin teams had a puncture. That's 50%. Bridgestone should have had two punctures too, or at least any punctures in the races that michelin has been popping its tyres.
So Dupasquier does have some explaining to do, excuses like that won't work anymore. [-(
Yes. So it would seem Michelin is more voulnerable to sharp objects(debris, the fence thingy at Bahrain)... they have to make some improvements on that to get on Bridgestone's level, because the fact is that a majority of the races include crashes and sharp remains on the track.
Location: Covilhã, Portugal (and sometimes in Évora)
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step on the inside of the entry of the Bus Stop chicane was to blame for the tyre failures Michelin suffered during the Belgian Grand Prix last Sunday, according to Pascal Vasselon, the company's F1 project manage
So basicly it's a Michelin problem because Bridgestone drivers probably have the same trajectories....could it be the the connection between the side wall of the tires and the contact patch is to soft? or lacks consisticy?
The sight of a Marshal clearing track debris with a broom is a common one in Formula One. At Spa Francorchamps on Sunday, brooms were very much in evidence after a multiple accident at the start of the race and later when Jenson Button's BAR Honda careered into the side of the unfortunate Zsolt Baumgartner.
The Belgian Grand Prix saw four separate tyre failures over the race weekend. Ryan Briscoe crashed heavily on Friday after a tyre failure on his Toyota and come race day, David Coulthard, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jenson Button all suffered similar failures.
Michelin has promised to get to the root of the problem, but Mario Theissen is one of many who believe that the equipment used to clean up after an accident needs to be looked into.
"Unfortunately, Spa was also scene of a worrying phenomenon," Theissen said on the BMW WilliamsF1 Website. "The unusually high rate of punctures is of great concern, and careful analysis is an absolute must. It has to be investigated whether these punctures were caused by external impact, such as sharp-edged debris after the numerous accidents, or if Spa was just simply asking too much of the tyres. If you are interested in improving the safety of Formula One, the tyres and – in this context – the cleaning of the track are key factors."
"A simple broom is most definitely not enough when it comes to cleaning the scene of an accident. To ensure that all the razor- sharp carbon-fibre slivers are removed, during the course of a safety-car period, you need special equipment, such as a vacuum cleaning road sweeper. This year, Formula One has already experienced too many puncture-related incidents. Our team has been involved in two of these accidents, the first being Ralf Schumacher’s serious crash at Indianapolis, the second one Juan Pablo’s puncture at Spa. Fortunately, neither Juan Pablo nor his rivals suffered injuries."
Back in June Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin's Motorsport Director, stated that the tyre failures that eliminated Fernando Alonso and more seriously Ralf Schumacher from the US Grand Prix were due to the tyres being cut by debris.
Perhaps it is now time for Formula One to look at what other series', such as Champ Car and the IRL IndyCar, use to ensure the racing surface is properly clear of debris as the circus prepares for the ultra-fast Italian Grand Prix. And perhaps re-visit the use of red flags rather than safety cars early in the Grand Prix.
Location: Covilhã, Portugal (and sometimes in Évora)
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Humm...the thing is that if you use softer side walls the tires will tend to flex slightly during a corner....which is something you don't want. My sugestion is that problem is in the "corner" between the side wall and the contact area. But a personal opionion.
it shouldn't matter though - last time i read the FIA's regulations for tire construction, it didn't mention being able to withstand a puncture for carbon fibre shrapnel. they need to clean the damn track so the tire makers can design a tire how they see fit, without worrying about punctures from outside sources.
So you suggest safety car and heavy cleaning machinery after every minor crash? This would mean safety car every ten minutes or so... kills the race. To get the track really clean you need to have those cleaning cars on the track, and that takes a long time.
There didn't use to be this much punctures last season. Michelin has had to go to extremes on their tyres to match Bridgestone.
