New Tyre Rule to Spice up Practice

V8 Supercars will introduce a new rule next season, to benefit teams and spectators alike.

A common subject of social comment in 2013 has been tyre usage. Drivers and teams have suggested the allocation has been too tight this season, leading them to save ‘green’ tyres for race days, rather than using them in practice.

However, next year teams will be required to submit one set of tyres to supplier Dunlop after practice is complete – used or not.

Teams will not have access to that set again that weekend – they will go in the team’s tyre bank, to be used either as pre-marked tyres for practice at future events or for test days.

According to General Manager – Motorsport Damien White, this will ensure teams run on fresh tyres during practice, which will benefit drivers, teams and spectators.

Reducing the amount of tyres available to teams this season had been a cost containment decision made by the V8 Supercars Commission. Tyres were an obvious mechanism to keep teams with varying budgets on a level playing field.

The Commission also took into account the availability of tyres for the 18-inch rims run by the new generation cars, and the high number of test days from the end of 2012 to ’13, which enabled teams to properly develop the new cars.

White sympathised with teams and fans who felt the current rules did not make the most of practice, usually scheduled on the Friday of an event.

“I understand the criticism because drivers always want to go faster, engineers always want to know what cars will do on a good tyre and spectators want to know who is going to be fast come race day,” White said.  

“With the new ruling, effectively, if you run greens in the last few minutes of a Friday session, you’ve got a great set to add to the bank and/or use as pre-marked tyres at the next race meetings.

“And remembering at the next event you can use a set of greens from that allocation as well, the tyre bank builds up – in terms of practice, eventually every set of tyres will be good.”

Therefore, Friday viewing will improve and teams and fans will have an indication of who the form drivers are at the end of practice.