Renault Driver Kubica Expects Cautious Driving on Narrower F1 Tyres

With testing now well underway in preparation for the start of the Formula One season, new Renault driver Robert Kubica has suggested that the introduction of narrower front tyres in 2010 will mean that drivers “will have to be careful not to wear them out too quickly”, while teams “will need to adapt the set-up and weight distribution to cope with this.” Kubica gave a lengthy Q&A session at the launch of the team’s new R30 chassis in Valencia.

The introduction of smaller tyres for the front of cars is a new regulation for the 2010 season. It follows the reintroduction of slicks in 2009, when tyre sizes remained the same, at 270mm. Since this resulted in considerably more proportional grip at the front of the vehicles, the new FiA regulation seeks to balance grip distribution more evenly between front and rear. Front tyres will now be 245mm in width. The ban on refuelling during races, which also comes into play in 2010 will mean that the tyre compounds will also be affected. The supplier for 2010 Bridgestone is expected to use a harder compound to compensate.

Kubica said that while he doesn’t think the refuelling ban “will have a major impact on the racing,” the change in the car’s behaviour due to the increased fuel stored onboard will be a challenge for the drivers: “When the car is full of fuel it will probably add 150kg of weight and that will have a huge effect on driving style – especially for braking points.”