Technical: Mercedes's simple tyre wear solution

"Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken" (Gimmi) 09/15/2013 at 17:00 • Filed to: F1

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A photo taken by XPB's Russell Batchelor (below) in Italy reveals exactly what Mercedes have been doing to control the temperature of their fronts and rears.

The inner-side of the wheel rim is covered in small extrusions. This 'dimpled' effect creates more surface area to dissipate the heat generated by the tyre. Whilst it might only be by a small amount, it seems it's enough to ensure the tyres remain in the crucial 'optimum operating temperature window'. According to former Williams chief engineer Mark Gillan, the design is incredibly complex to achieve and should offer a 25-30% improvement. "This complex dimpled and scalloped pattern is not straightforward to manufacture and therefore indicates a lot of research and development has gone into developing this component and proving its benefit before committing to its manufacture," he told James Allen on F1, adding it should "give up to 25 to 30% thermal transfer improvements over the smooth surface variant" which is currently run by Mercedes' rivals. - See more at: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

desertdog5051 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 17:14

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Fascinating. Thanks Gimmi.

bhardoin > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 17:14

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I wonder how much that affects brake cooling.

Agrajag > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 17:19

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Things like this are why I still love F1.

///M3 Track Car > Agrajag 09/15/2013 at 17:33

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+1

Sometimes the only reason... ;)

WarShrike > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 17:53

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Won't be long before we see Turbonator sponsored race wheels. OUR TURBONATOR VORTEX WHEELS SAVE YOUR TIRES FROM EXTREME HEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!111one1!

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 18:01

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I give it a week before F1 bans it, citing "unfair advantages".

xxstich666xx > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 18:21

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This.

TrekHuis > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 19:31

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Whirlpool officially announced they will enter F1 as tire cooling manufacturer.

Victorious Secret > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 19:31

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5 days before Ferrari bitches about it.

6 days before the FIA bans it.

1 week before Seb kicks everyones ass anyways.

LodestarRunner > WarShrike 09/15/2013 at 19:35

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In response, Marussia has added magnets to all their fuel lines.

eldo500 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 19:40

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Wow, how cool is that? So simple, yet so ingenious.

J-Tenno > Victorious Secret 09/15/2013 at 19:44

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Vettel is just too good.

What I'd love to see is how well would he do with say, Caterham, Williams or Marussia.

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > bhardoin 09/15/2013 at 19:53

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Not at all, the cooling ducts will do all of that to any measurable amount.

globbety > LodestarRunner 09/15/2013 at 19:55

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From the dollar store?

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Victorious Secret 09/15/2013 at 19:55

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Well, with the rubber working for Hamilton, he is quite a threat! I'm not sure they can catch up to RBR though. Newey is beating everyone.

Scrape > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 20:00

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Now they won't be able to get their tires up to temperature and will be sliding all over the place.

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Scrape 09/15/2013 at 20:02

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Of course they are measuring the effects and will not use them at cooler races!

RazorGP > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 20:23

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They are allowed to modify the tires?

Countersteer > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 20:26

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Exactly... Looks like a movable aerodynamic device to me...

Pandamasque > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 20:27

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Interesting. This inner part of the rim is VERY close (nearly touches) the brake calliper, temperatures of the discs exceed 1000°C! I'm not a physicist but isn't it more logical to assume that with ~900° difference in favour of the braking system on the inside of the wheel rim heat would transfer the other way: from the brakes into the wheel and not vice versa? I'd hazard a guess, they're trying to aid tire warm-up through hard braking. This should very useful for qualifying and race start.

Maxxuman > RazorGP 09/15/2013 at 20:27

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The wheels, read the article, it's the wheel rims.

CeramicRabbit > Victorious Secret 09/15/2013 at 20:29

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hahaha so true

Clown Shoe Pilot > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 20:33

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good thing for mercedes that the wheel homologation rule isn't in effect any more

Simplify, then add beer > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 21:17

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It'd definitely make him faster, but he'd quickly find something else on the car to complain about.

PARTS+ACCESSORIES > Agrajag 09/15/2013 at 21:19

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Agreed!

mcseanerson > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 21:20

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This is the garbage wrong with modern racing. We need race series that only ban tech that is severe safety risks. To make up for teams with unfair advantage make all the tech public after the first season you implement it so that the innovators will have to continue to innovate to stay ahead.

This is why racing is stagnant in the top tiers these days because we don't push any further. And to the people who complain about a level playing field in top tier motorsports due to costs, there is no level playing field in the top tiers.

eldo500 > globbety 09/15/2013 at 21:21

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Psh, dollar store. Try Harbor Freight!

Fisha695 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 21:24

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ScarbsF1 has a good article on this from the other week that explains it pretty well. http://scarbsf1.com/blog1/2013/09/…

boxjohn > bhardoin 09/15/2013 at 21:25

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From what I've noticed handling street wheel/tire packages, very little. Hot brakes or bearings that make the lug nuts too hot to touch tend to not cause any noticeable heating on the outer rim of the wheel. Based on that, I've got to believe there's very little cooling effect that can be transmitted between the two.

NoblesseObligeZERO > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 21:28

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lol I was thinking the same thing when I read this

dataPOG > LodestarRunner 09/15/2013 at 21:34

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Don't forget the cigarette lighter one...I wish I remembered its name.

ERIFNOMI > Pandamasque 09/15/2013 at 21:39

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Since they don't touch, it'd have to heat the air to higher than these heatsinks/the tires. The air moves out quickly, by design, and would prevent that from ever happening.

FrankenB5S4 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 21:46

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So can someone explain the issues with the tires to someone who hasn't watched much F1? Why is this year worse and/or why can't they use the tires from previous years?

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Fisha695 09/15/2013 at 21:47

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Oh yes he always has good stuff, I just got an update with this and I passed it on. His link to:

http://somersf1.blogspot.it/2013/07/merced…

It has some other modifications shown.

Duckferd > Scrape 09/15/2013 at 21:47

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They will be warm when the race starts, it's up to the drivers to maintain temps in them!

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > FrankenB5S4 09/15/2013 at 22:00

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Tyre supplier Pirelli faced criticism early in the season due to the wear of some tyres, with some claiming tyre management had become too important to race strategy. This prompted Pirelli to announce plans to introduce new designs after the Canadian Grand Prix. [136] The testing Pirelli undertook on these proposed new designs led to an official complaint on the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix from Ferrari and Red Bull who claimed the way it was done, using the 2013 Mercedes car and drivers, would give them a competitive advantage in both Monaco and Canada. [137] There were also disputes over the change in the failure mode that were the result of new manufacturing methods, as to whether these increased or decreased safety. [138] As the teams arrived in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix it was announced that, after further enquiries were made to all teams, the FIA were referring the Mercedes tyre test to its International Tribunal as it may have breached the rules. The FIA cleared an earlier test by Ferrari as it used a 2011 car, which was not a breach of the rules. [139] In order to reduce the number of delaminations, Pirelli introduced two new specifications of rear tyre in time for the Canadian race, which also reverted to the belt pack used in 2011 and 2012 tyres. In announcing the tyre, Pirelli said there would be no further tyre changes for the 2013 season due to the fact that to doing so would need the agreement of all teams, some of whom did not want their performance to be affected by such a mid-season change. [140]

Tyre issues continued to dominate headlines at the British Grand Prix when several drivers suffered explosive punctures during the race. [122] Amid concerns that the issue would continue at the German Grand Prix one week later, Pirelli received permission to introduce an entirely new specification of tyre in time for the Hungarian Grand Prix , whilst introducing modifications to the existing tyres for the race in Germany as a stop-gap solution. [141] The FIA also imposed restrictions of their own, banning the teams from swapping the left- and right-side tyres around, a practice that had been employed to extend the lifespan of the tyres. [142]

Aurune > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 22:10

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I have my money on "Moveable aerodynamic device."

Micro-dosing Gawker's Tears > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 22:12

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Is this heat from tires heating up or the brakes heating the wheel up then heating the tire up?

MFEJAL grey because who knows... > WarShrike 09/15/2013 at 22:34

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And I heard another team will have a hydrogen generator in 2014 cars...

jztemple > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/15/2013 at 22:49

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No, I see it as the opposite. There's nothing contrary to the regs in it and since it keeps the tires cooler Pirelli will be happier. This will make Charlie Whiting happier as there will be less chance for tire failures. Therefore it will be seen as a positive step, QED.

Gary Yogurt > LodestarRunner 09/15/2013 at 22:50

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Haha, oh man. This is funny but not so funny in five years when F1 has 6 teams.

Gary Yogurt > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 22:55

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As much as F1 drives me crazy with new rule after new rule, it's little things like this that make me incredibly happy. I will admit that of all the things that make it wonderful, the thing I enjoy most about Formula 1 is the absurdity. (I also need stories like this to cheer me up since Mr. Webber has just a half-dozen races left.) Thanks for posting, sir.

jovimon7 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 22:56

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1987 wheel cooling technology.

GTRZILLAR32-Now saving for Godzilla and a condo > RazorGP 09/15/2013 at 23:14

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They aren't modifying the tires, what they modified is the design on the inside of the wheel.

foxbird87 > jovimon7 09/15/2013 at 23:55

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A great wheel design for arguably one of Fords greatest car designs. (I might be a bit biased as the owner of an '87 'bird) I'm pretty sure those fins did nothing but add weight, but they sure look good.

BigGatorChris > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/15/2013 at 23:56

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But hasn't Merc done a mostly terrible job of maintaining their tires this year?

bobby__lee > ERIFNOMI 09/16/2013 at 01:17

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"Thermal radiation is one of the principal mechanisms of heat transfer . It entails the emission of a spectrum of electromagnetic radiation due to an object's temperature. Other mechanisms are convection and conduction ."

monkeyracing > Agrajag 09/16/2013 at 02:56

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It's nice to see an idea so common in so many other applications being repurposed in such an ingenious fashion. Someone gets a high five for this.

JoshT999r > FrankenB5S4 09/16/2013 at 03:26

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Basically they deliberately make the tyres shitty so strategy plays a more important part in the races. Drive hard and you need to pit early, manage the tyres better and you can get more laps out of them etc. That temperature operating window is important too, drive too hard and overheat the tyres and someone who has been taking it easy might start to catch you as the grip available to you is reduced.

chaboud > J-Tenno 09/16/2013 at 04:00

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Vettel is good, but let's not kid around. This is Newey. He's a friggin' aero genius, and the big perk of being an aero genius is that it's so far past what other people can understand that a number of aero tweaks can't be called an unfair advantage because it's too hard to figure out what Newey trick made the car so ball-bustingly fast.

That guy better know that he's a friggin' rock star.

colewind > Pandamasque 09/16/2013 at 04:04

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It does make sense to have this question. As far as I know, the wheel is designed to force air across the rotors, resulting in increased cooling as speed increases.

chaboud > Pandamasque 09/16/2013 at 04:05

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I think this is much more likely to aid *both* the brakes and tires in transferring heat to the air in the wheel cavity. Smooth surfaces don't cause as much turbulence, leaving smoother air to ride in a boundary. And I'm sure they tested the heck out of it.

alan666 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 04:16

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the sneaks.

Mojonaut > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 04:33

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There probably will be no more "cooler races", at least until the end of the season. Having a bit of inclement weather is the only thing that makes F1 exciting these days, but the move away from Europe to climes with more predictable weather patterns (Bahrain, Abu Dhabi) means we're less likely to see rain (or cooler races in general) than, say, twenty years ago.

Mojonaut > Micro-dosing Gawker's Tears 09/16/2013 at 04:36

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Think it's the tyres themselves, through road friction. Since most of the races remaining this year will be in pretty hot places, it makes sense to dissipate heat from the tyres to get more wear. Especially when it comes to the softer compounds.

ShaneTT > Pandamasque 09/16/2013 at 04:45

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Very good point.

The only issue I see is when changing tyres in the pits if it is a "complex dimpled and scalloped pattern" chances are some damage is going to be done putting the new wheel on. But I guess they thought about that...

grigor.dumbovic > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 04:52

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Can someone please make a post about all the things FIA banned because they were giving unfair advantage?

Burt > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 05:35

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I really enjoy when a team comes up with a (relatively) simple solution to a problem. It's built into the wheel, so you can't mess it up and it can't malfunction, it just works by existing. I'll be pissed if F1 doesn't let them use it.

DaMata > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 06:03

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that rubber nose, exhaust gas rear wing, red bull guy has got to be so damn frustrated, going like: "i'm the one who bends the rules, how didn't i think of this?"
then he realizes Vett's still winning from lights to flag, so he shruggs off and leaves.

mooseknuckle > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 07:55

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They should just switch from tyres to tires.

ncasolowork2 > J-Tenno 09/16/2013 at 08:22

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I've had a conversation with one of the Lotus development drivers. He reckons someone like Petrov would be able to match pace with someone like Mark Webber. Which means Vettel could probably gain 2 or 3 spots in a crap car, but the reality is a crap car is still crap no matter how fast the driver is.

ncasolowork2 > Simplify, then add beer 09/16/2013 at 08:23

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To be fair Hamilton hasn't really complained at all about the team and has generally had his head on straight this year. That probably has a lot to do with the expectations entering the year.

MatthewHokie03 > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/16/2013 at 09:16

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They've been rocking these for the last four races at least so doubt that's happening.

AZRCD > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 09:58

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ScarbsF1 reckoned it was actually for increased heat transfer into the tire, to keep temps up on the long straights at Spa and Monza. http://scarbsf1.com/blog1/2013/09/…

Technogamer10 > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 10:08

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consider me in with the people who are saying " this is to maximise heat transfer INTO the tyre"

not a hope in hell that the 100º temperatures of the tyres will transfer into the already FAR hotter brake calipers

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > AZRCD 09/16/2013 at 10:12

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Yes some asked me if it would effect brake cooling, I thought it would be the opposite as well. Need heat, there is a source close by!

MiddleAgedAngryGuy > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 10:46

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If it's within the rules and regs (and I'm sure it is) it'll be one of the best things a team has done this year.

Ingaz > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 09/16/2013 at 12:46

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HAHAHAHA, agreed.

McLarry > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 13:04

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Heatsink on the rim...very clever. I thought this wasn't such a problem anymore after Pirelli reverted to last year's spec? I'll admit I haven't been following tire news very closely, though.

UKPDXWRX > Pandamasque 09/16/2013 at 13:27

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Convection is the dominant effect at high speeds, not radiation, so the airflow through the wheel is more important than the radiant heat from the brake assembly. Net effect is cooling.

ERIFNOMI > bobby__lee 09/16/2013 at 14:27

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Yes, there are multiple methods of heat transfer, but it will be primarily convection in this case. Simply put, the air is both cooler than the these heatsinks and the brakes which, combined with air's thermal capacity, will take heat from both before quickly leaving the wheels.

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > McLarry 09/16/2013 at 20:49

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Some teams are fine on certain circuits while others have serious overheating. But then again on cooler circuits those are the teams that can't get the heat into them well. Merc has a few types of rim, this is only one. I think they tune them for each circuit by the look of it, probably try a few on Thursday and go with the best guess unless the weather changes.

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > Technogamer10 09/16/2013 at 20:53

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They seem to have several rims with various configurations, I think they must try them out during practice to get a baseline and then choose a rim for the circuit. Some look to obviously heat them up while others are for hot places and have less.

DDToTX > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/16/2013 at 21:34

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I wonder if they use something other than nitrogen with a higher heat transfer rate to take advantage of this.

Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken > DDToTX 09/16/2013 at 23:08

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Oh for sure they have tinkered with that!

Xelmon > Gimmi-Sagan-Om-Draken 09/19/2013 at 03:51

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Very interesting.