While we were backstage at the Montreal Grand Prix, we got a chance to get up close with the wheel and tire tech of F1. You will never see a more advanced set of rims than these.
We're short on stats for these wheels and especially for the tires, the wildcard element in this year's F1 season. All we know is that each team pays the same 1.2 million Euros per car per year for a randomized set of Pirellis. If you want to know more about these things, you should watch Leo Parente discuss them in Valencia.
Information is scant on the rims as well. At least, to us plebes it is. If you look at the Ferrari rims that one engineer was covering, you can see a wireless transmitter mounted right into the wheel to collect information and send it back to the pits.
You can also see the divots in the extremely sticky tires that the Pirelli and team engineers use to take probe depth readings (that's the only way to check tread thickness on the otherwise slick tires). Each race team has their own tire people and a couple of dedicated engineers from Pirelli who absolutely swarm the tires for measurements each time they come off a car in a pit stop.
If you have information on these wheels and tires, tell us in the comments. The F1 website fails to satisfy and we want to know more.
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik
Photo Credit: Raphael Orlove/Jalopnik