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From 1964, the French firm even contributed actively to the development of radial tyres, a technology that revolutionised the automobile industry.<\/p>\n
“It was effectively to Alpine that the concept\u2019s inventor \u2013 Michelin \u2013 turned to resolve the problem of high-speed control-loss,” says Paul Fran\u00e7ois.<\/p>\n
“Thanks to the easy-to-adjust suspension that equipped its F2 and F3 single-seaters and endurance racing prototypes, Alpine played a part in optimising the performance of radial tyres, a breakthrough that became synonymous with the doubling of tyre life in the minds of ordinary motorists.” he adds.<\/p>\n
The 1967 Le Mans 24 Hours saw Alpine and Michelin introduce another breakthrough that is today commonplace in motor racing, and which Formula 1 was swift to imitate, namely slicks; in other words tyres without a tread pattern which provide superior grip in dry weather by maximising the amount of rubber that is directly in contact with the ground.<\/p>\n
In 1978, Alpine subsequently become the first make to win Le Mans on radial slicks.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Racing teams know just how much tyres contribute to the overall performance package. In addition to being made up of more than 200 different ingredients, today\u2019s tyres are connected.<\/p>\n
“The Michelin tyres we use in the World Endurance Championship are equipped with sensors that enable us to monitor their performance,\u201d says Fran\u00e7ois.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, we are kept informed of the temperatures of both the air inside the covers and the casings themselves in real time thanks to a laser thermometer. We can also keep an eye on pressures which are another crucial parameter that allows us to not only optimise performance but also race safely, since we are able to detect punctures even before drivers sense them!\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the tracking of tyres is facilitated by embedded electronics. As cars exit the pits, the identifying signal emitted by their tyres is picked up by a connected gate.<\/p>\n
Fran\u00e7ois explains: \u201cEndurance racing tyres are equipped with RFID [Radio Frequency Identification] technology and barcodes which enable Race Control to verify that teams comply with tyre regulations and their respective allocations at all times.”<\/p>\n
The tyre allowance per car for individual World Endurance Championship rounds is limited to just 18 slicks for six-hour races (including qualifying), 24 for eight-hour races and 56 for Le Mans.<\/p>\n
The regulations also state that refuelling must be completed before work on tyre changes may begin during pit stops, while only four mechanics are authorised to perform this job which consequently takes six times longer in endurance racing than it does in Formula 1.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the drivers have a key part to play when it comes to applying the teams\u2019 carefully-calculated race strategies.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more precise their driving styles are, the more drivers are able to adapt how they use their tyres in order to optimise their performance over the distance,\u201d Fran\u00e7ois enthuses.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the drivers who sense any tyre degradation and they need to be able to provide feedback regarding the difference in lap times that a switch to a fresh set of rubber might bring.<\/p>\n
“In endurance racing, when it comes to tyre management, you\u2019re always under pressure,” he concludes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When it comes to motorsport, tyre design and management play a fundamental role, and no more so than in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC),<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104,"featured_media":30312,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,1046,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-michelin","category-most-read","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n