After the much-talked-about return of ground effect to Formula 1, another of the most discussed topics in the paddock is clincher tyres. The series hopes this will help create less turbulence around the tire and thus reduce the dirty air that one car following another receives.
However, these clinchers that we will see in the 2022 season are a far cry from the complexity we have seen in the past, because the teams will have little influence on their design. This is because the FIA does not want the teams to include aspects that could harm the new technical regulations.
This element that will return to F1 in 2022 gives us the opportunity to remember how the tires have been used by teams in other times and why they used them.
Details of the rims of the Ferrari 641
As we can see from Giorgio Piola’s illustration, the beginnings of covered tires go back to an era even older than we might expect. Ferrari experimented with them at Monza in 1990 to reduce aerodynamic drag during qualifying in the so-called ‘Temple of Speed’.
The team could not use this specification in the race because the brakes would have overheated as they could not expel the heat generated during braking. In addition to this, Ferrari would have had problems changing tires, and a retractable panel was installed over the wheel nut.
Ferrari 248 F1 rear rims detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari 248 F1 rims detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
It took more than a decade for another solution to appear, although it was no surprise that Ferrari presented it. The Italians came up with a modified design for the rear wheel of the 248 F1, which featured a shallow rim fairing.
Like the rims we’ll see in 2022, the fairing rotated with the tyre, something that was expanded later in the season with a cover that took up the entire center section to allow wheel nut access at stops at boxes.
Toyota TF106 rim detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Toro Rosso STR01 rim detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Renault R27 side view Brazilian GP
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
This design did not go unnoticed by the teams, with some such as Toyota or Toro Rosso developing their own variants at Imola and Silverstone respectively. After protesting the design, Renault also introduced its own version of the rear wheel in 2007 , although it was Ferrari that continued to see the aerodynamic advantage of using this element.
Those from Maranello began to use a more complex covered rim at the British GP, which was static and did not move with the rubber. The fact that the cover didn’t change position opened up a lot of possibilities in terms of redirecting the air going through the brake ducts, with an opening at the bottom rear to direct the flow created to decrease wheel and brake turbulence. tire.
Ferrari F2007 front rim detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Ferrari F2007 front rim detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
It was not a simple fairing for the rim, but Ferrari was using this to improve the behavior of the rear of its car, and it was copied by others . This was a complex system incorporating various components to help direct the airflow, with a row of vanes acting as a guide, while the wheel axle, nut and gun were custom designed to fit the new system. .
The shroud was convex in shape rather than flat so that the airflow would go around the outside of the wheel and not have a negative effect on what the team was trying to do. There was no drastic change for 2008 , but a small guide vane was added to the upper region of the canopy to help direct airflow in this section more effectively.
While Ferrari didn’t feel the need to radically modify the design, others took note of the designs and landed some new ideas on the grid.
McLaren MP4-23 Rim Duct Comparison
McLaren’s design featured an outlet at the front bottom of the rim cover, not the rear. That choice was based on the different aerodynamic demands of the Woking car, plus the designers looked into using a variant with a front spoiler to help direct turbulence.
2008 Honda RA108 front cover
The Honda version included a rear outlet, albeit slightly larger, but also had a small spoiler in the lower front corner.
Side view of the Sauber F1.08
BMW Sauber introduced its version in Monaco, with a design somewhere in between, with an opening right in the middle.
Toyota TF108 front wheel
Toyota changed the rear end of the TF108 when it added a fan-shaped cover starting at the Spanish Grand Prix.
How the wheel covers escaped the 2009 aero mod
The rules introduced from the 2009 Formula 1 season did not eliminate the possibility for the teams to continue using the covers on the rims and, despite the modification in the aerodynamics, some opted as a tool to alter the amount of turbulence that they generated. the tires.
Those aerodynamic changes meant that the teams had to optimize their designs from the previous campaign, but some developed new, even more complex variants.
Detail of the covered rim of the Ferrari F60
In the case of Ferrari , the new regulations made their opening to be at the front, while they added a deflector to the top corner.
Brawn GP001 front hubcap
When it comes to clincher rims, perhaps the Brawn GP001 is the first single-seater that comes to mind. First, because of its status as champion, but also because of its striking fluorescent yellow color that stood out from the rest. Others tended to leave this element blank or simulated the look of the rim they covered.
2009 Force India VJM02 front brake duct detail
The Force India ‘s front wheel hubcap was of a wedge-shaped design, with a forward projecting spoiler.
2009 Force India VJM02 rim cover
At the rear of the Indians, they rolled out a cover with a fan-like design, similar to the one Toyota introduced last season.
The end of clincher tires
Formula 1 chose to ban hubcaps from the 2010 model year, as they not only caused the general failure to have more overtaking in 2009, but were quite an expensive component for teams looking to reduce spending.
Even without those reasons, pit stop and safety failures led to the demise of clincher tires in the top flight.
Detail of the rim of the Ferrari F10
However, Ferrari did try to improve airflow in the front wheel, even without the tires, and added a pair of hoops to the rim design for 2010 (above). Other teams were unable to copy this part because the wheels were a homologated component.
In this image appears the modified Mercedes W10 for the Abu Dhabi post-season tests of 2021, adapted in the suspension to receive the new 18-inch wheels that will include the single-seaters from 2022.
The design of this piece is somewhat convex, and is used to improve some problems generated by the wheel and tire, in addition to facilitating the action of the mechanics at the time of pit stops.
