It appears there is some unhappiness (but also some happiness) with the changes to the new tire model (NTM) that were introduced at the beginning of the current season. I’m going to try to explain where we are with the NTM and address (at least some of) the current concerns. This will be a long post, but bear with me, if you are interested.
It’s important to keep in mind what the new tire model is, and what it isn’t. It is a theoretical model that makes very good tire performance predictions from a few easily measurable quantities. It is not a perfect reproduction of the tires supplied last weekend in the real world for any particular series. While the data (lap times, cornering speeds) that we see on television are certainly helpful in figuring out whether we have the theoretical model predicting stuff properly, it is most important to me that the same model works as we move from a NASCAR tire to a Formula Mazda tire, and that we only have to change the numbers that really do change in the real world, such as the curvature of the tread and sidewalls, the rim and tire radii, the amount of carbon black, silica filler and/or extender oils that might be in the tread compound, the glass transition temperature of the tread rubber, etc. The most important thing is that they behave like tires that might be supplied on a given weekend for a given series under as many conditions as possible. Actually, the most important thing is that they behave like tires under as many conditions as possible. The NTM is already a very good model in that regard. It is not perfect, nor is it completely finished. I’d be the first to tell you that there are areas where it still doesn’t predict as well as I would like, but I’m working hard on those areas, and I’m pretty happy with where it is at the moment.
