FIA: "You can change flatspotted tyres"

Sodemo · 27 Jul 2005, 16:23 (Ref:1364789)

Just read over on Autosport.com that the FIA has clarified a rule stating that you may change tyres that have been flatspotted.

Kicking-back · 27 Jul 2005, 16:25 (Ref:1364790)

Clarified, rather than altered.

You've always been able to change damaged tyres, they've just confirmed that a flatspot can be counted as damaged.

But you can't change a tyre at the same put stop as refuelling.

Sodemo · 27 Jul 2005, 16:32 (Ref:1364798)

Yep.
Will be interesting to see if drivers "accidentally" lock-up their tyres 2 corners before the pit entry on their in-lap...

Glen · 27 Jul 2005, 16:40 (Ref:1364802)

Since you need to make a completely different pit-stop, I think not.

Knowlesy · 27 Jul 2005, 16:55 (Ref:1364815)

No change, the rule is just a bit more transparent.

Louis B. · 27 Jul 2005, 17:19 (Ref:1364843)

Thks. Now I understand why both JV and Monteiro pitted and changed front tyres without anyone making a fuss about it. I also take it that more than one "damaged" tyre may be changed at the same time together with a nose cone as long as the car is not refuelled on that pit stop. This makes sense.

chillibowl · 27 Jul 2005, 17:42 (Ref:1364864)

not sure how i feel about this particularly in the sense that driver error leading to a flat spot can be changed without fear of penalty.
imo, i kind of liked seeing kimi fight to win the euro gp even after he made a mistake that flat spotted his tire and badly affected his car.
people are always saying that they want to see drivers drive, this was a case of that and now its gone in the name of safety!

Kempi · 27 Jul 2005, 17:46 (Ref:1364869)

You'd still have the penalty of an extra stop.

Knowlesy · 27 Jul 2005, 17:46 (Ref:1364871)

I agree chillibowl.

The fascination of the European GP would have been non-existent without the tyre rule.

But after that race, there were about five people moaning endlessly about safety and thus the rules had to be clarified.

mike bt · 27 Jul 2005, 18:05 (Ref:1364903)

Can someone enlighten me.....how flat does the flatspot have to be? Is this defined in the rules?

shiny side up! · 27 Jul 2005, 18:11 (Ref:1364908)

I don't agree that the European GP wouldn't have been as fascinating.

Kimi could have changed the tire... but would have had to make an extra pit stop to do so. The option was there before the FIA made this 'clarification'... McLaren didn't do it then, and they probably wouldn't do it if faced with the same choices now.

Pitting in that situation loses the race. There is your drama... and it will be just as dramatic next time a team/driver face a similar dillemma...

BootsOntheSide · 27 Jul 2005, 18:26 (Ref:1364918)

Not quite Shiny. The option of changing the tyre would have existed earlier, immediately after the first flat-spot, and would've allowed him to make the stop without losing all the time he lost later in the race.

shiny side up! · 27 Jul 2005, 18:32 (Ref:1364920)

Hmmm... assuming the uberflatspot was the result of an earlier, smaller flat-spot, I suppose he wouldn't have lost as much time if he caught the small one earlier and decided to pit for a replacement.

It still would have been an extra stop in which he could not take on any fuel, which would have lost him 30+ seconds easily, so not sure how that would compare in the long run. But I can accept that it may have made it less spectacular, perhaps...

Marbot · 27 Jul 2005, 19:37 (Ref:1364965)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike bt

Can someone enlighten me.....how flat does the flatspot have to be? Is this defined in the rules?

You must have lost at least one filling (pre-race checked by FIA dentist) in order to change a tyre.

**Adam43** · 27 Jul 2005, 22:45 (Ref:1365113)

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike bt

Can someone enlighten me.....how flat does the flatspot have to be? Is this defined in the rules?

It doesn't matter. If it is a small flat spot then there is no need to change. The penalty wouldn't be worth it. If it is a big flatspot to cause a problem then it is worth changing. the flat spot is significant.

On shiny's point. Yes you could come in with a small flat spot before it becomes a big one, but in reality you wouldn't. A small flat spot isn't losing you much time and you wait to see if it did develop into a problem first.

On the European GP, this clarification has makes little difference. Kimi would still have stayed out for the win. Besides they could have stopped for a new tyre then.

richard_sykes · 27 Jul 2005, 22:48 (Ref:1365118)

Dont forget you have to replace it with a WORN TYRE!

This is to stopwhat you suggested earlier

mike bt · 27 Jul 2005, 22:52 (Ref:1365122)

Ha Ha !! Excellent!! Thanks Martyn

Glen · 28 Jul 2005, 08:57 (Ref:1365351)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chillibowl

not sure how i feel about this particularly in the sense that driver error leading to a flat spot can be changed without fear of penalty.
imo, i kind of liked seeing kimi fight to win the euro gp even after he made a mistake that flat spotted his tire and badly affected his car.
people are always saying that they want to see drivers drive, this was a case of that and now its gone in the name of safety!

Well that's just nonsense - he COULD have changed his tyre and been 25 seconds back as a consequence, and then you would have seen a different kind of battle for the win - where he would have made an heroic struggle to make up lost ground. You would have seen him drive!

Oh - and incidentally, if he had done that and finished second he'd be eight points better off.

Menelaos · 28 Jul 2005, 10:51 (Ref:1365426)

I think this rule is stupid anyway. But of course that's not a change, as K-b said.

chillibowl · 28 Jul 2005, 17:56 (Ref:1365779)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen

Well that's just nonsense

while i do agree with you that if he changed his tire we could have seen different battle and that could have been great, but thats just hindsight. you might as well say he should not have made the mistake in the first place. aways had the rule clarification been in place during the euro maybe he would have pitted, got the 8 points and been closer to to alonso and maybe we would have seen a closer battle for the last 7 races. but all thats speculation.

my point was simply that i enjoyed seeing kimi fight with a car that wasn't working right anymore and he was doing it while in 1st place. i like the driver and team taking a chance and going for a win - the uncertainty about the tire change rule allowed that to happen while forcing the driver to live with his mistakes. IMO, for me thats racing. besides if everyone is so concerned with saftey dont race in a marginal car.

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