Cooper Avon a Potential F1 Tyre Supplier
The BBC reports that another contender for next year’s Formula One tyre supply has emerged. Cooper Avon has apparently joined Michelin as a possible replacement for Bridgestone, who ends its tyre supply arrangement at the end of the current race season – and Bernie Ecclestone has told BBC Sport he doesn’t mind which company ends up taking over tyre supply “as long as the teams are happy.”
According to the BBC, race teams appear to have a preference for Michelin, as concerns exist over the much smaller Avon's capacity to do the job, even though it is believed the plan is for it to use tyres supplied by Bridgestone.
Should Michelin be selected, the 13-inch wheel rims currently used on F1 vehicles will be replaced by 18-inch wheel rims. This will change the cars’ suspension set-up – at the moment, the taller tyre sidewalls are effectively used as part of the suspension to absorb bumps, but the smaller sidewalls of the lower-profile tyres fitted to the 18-inch wheels would perform this role less effectively, and therefore suspension would have to be changed to accommodate this.
According to the BBC, race teams appear to have a preference for Michelin, as concerns exist over the much smaller Avon’s capacity to do the job, even though it is believed the plan is for it to use tyres supplied by Bridgestone.
Should Michelin be selected, the 13-inch wheel rims currently used on F1 vehicles will be replaced by 18-inch wheel rims. This will change the cars’ suspension set-up – at the moment, the taller tyre sidewalls are effectively used as part of the suspension to absorb bumps, but the smaller sidewalls of the lower-profile tyres fitted to the 18-inch wheels would perform this role less effectively, and therefore suspension would have to be changed to accommodate this.
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