|
Driving Forward With Yokohama |
|
|
|
|
Friday, 01 June 2007 |
#As the FIA World Touring Car Championship heads to the demanding street circuit of Pau, France, this weekend, drivers of both front and rear-wheel-drive cars can be confident of their Yokohama ADVAN tyres.
The difference between the two has a huge effect on tyre wear and one of the most challenging aspects for Yokohama has been getting the balance right, ensuring tyres perform equally well for both.
“For us it’s much easier to develop the tyres only for the
front-wheel-drive (FWD) or the rear-wheel-drive (RWD),” said Yokohama
Europe Marketing Manager, Kazuyoshi Sekiguchi. “But we have two kinds
of car so we need to find some compromise where the tyres are working
for the two variations.”
In simple terms, on a FWD car the two front tyres are doing two jobs,
driving the car and steering it, putting them under more pressure than
the rears.
“The balance between the FWD car front and rear tyres is very
difficult,” said Sekiguchi. “The touring cars are intrinsically heavy,
and so put the most stress on tyres than any other type of racing.
"Tyres have to be capable of performing well on the most heavily loaded
fronts of the FWD car, but also give sufficient grip for the more
lightly loaded rear wheels.
"At the same time, these tyres have to work correctly on the more
equally balanced, but still highly stressed weight, both front and
rear, of the RWD cars and give good consistent performance for the
duration of a race for both front and rear drive cars.”
The WTCC offers a level playing field for production saloon cars to
compete. Championship guidelines have led most manufacturers to enter
FWD models, with the exception of BMW’s RWD 320si.
“We at BMW worked on developing the tyres together with three FWD cars
in Kyalami, South Africa,” said WTCC Driver Championship leader, Jörg
Müller, who drives for BMW. “I think Yokohama has definitely succeeded
in providing a tyre that serves everybody equally. That’s what came out
in South Africa when we were testing. I’m very sure that the tyre is a
great compromise for both of us.
“In Pau this weekend it will be harder for the tyre because the circuit
doesn’t have the same grip as frequently used tracks and you don’t have
long straights so the tyres have to work every second of your run.
“I expect the drop-off to start earlier, which will probably benefit
the RWD cars a little bit, but we have more success ballast than anyone
else so that should even things out.”
If more evidence were needed of the excellent solution Yokohama has
provided for the FWD / RWD challenge, you need only look to the 2006
season finale. In that, nine drivers were still fighting for the chance
to be champion, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the tyre
manufacturer has provided a level playing field.
|
