Rim heating is common practice in F1, but how does it actually work" We spoke to the Technical Directors up and down the pitman to find out.

The Problem
Tyres are without doubt the most important element of any racecar. You can have all the power you want, all the downforce you want, but if none of that can be effectively transformed into grip through the tyres, then you won?t go anywhere fast. This is why tyres are a never-ending discussion point up and down the pitlane.
A tyre generates grip through excitation of the rubber due to friction with the tracks surface. There are two friction mechanisms involved:

Molecular adhesion ? The molecular chain of the rubber is stretched and due to its viscosity, this resists deformation which results in a friction force. Indentation ? Rubber is excited by the tracks roughness and due to hysteresis does not immediately return to its original shape. This asymmetrical deformation generates a friction force.

A tyre generates grip through indentation and molecular adhesion. CREDIT: The tyre – grip by Michelin

These friction forces combine to generate grip and this grip can be increased with temperature. Think of a tyre as a piece of blue-tack. When blue-tack is cold, this visco-elastic material is stiff, brittle and won?t stick to anything. Yet, when you play around with it, the stresses induced by pulling blue-tack apart and squishing it together results in a temperature ...