Yokohama develops new wet weather race tyre

Following the announcement that Yokohama ADVAN will be used as control tyres for the 2008 and 2009 FIA World Touring Car Championship seasons, the manufacturer recently undertook initial testing of its new specification wet racing tyre for the two seasons. The existing product has drawn critical acclaim in its first two seasons as control tyre but the new version, designed to pre-empt changes in manufacturing legislation, has already shown improvements in its first trials.

New regulations for materials used in the production of tyres worldwide are expected to be introduced in the near future. However, as part of its on-going program to improve its products as well as lessen their impact on the environment, Yokohama has committed to developing the new ADVAN A006 wet weather tyre in advance of the introduction of the regulations. This will provide the manufacturers and teams competing in the 2008 WTCC and beyond with early, and instant, benefits.

The new specification ADVAN A006 builds on the excellent feedback received from the existing product, which has impressed drivers and teams alike, both for front and rear wheel-drive cars. Durability and consistency of grip are two of the most important criteria for any motorsport tyre and the new version has improved on both qualities.

The construction of the new tyre is significantly different from the previous version but the biggest advances have been made in the compound itself. The Yokohama engineers have spent considerable time working with the new material specification, which is intended to have less impact on the environment, to maximise grip and performance for wet weather conditions.

Yokohama’s WTCC Technical Consultant, Ian Beveridge, explains; “We have begun testing the new specification of tyre to get ahead of the game, before the new regulations come into force. And we are very pleased with the results of this first test. The new tyre’s behaviour is very similar to that of the previous version but offers more outright grip and according to the drivers, better response.

“One of the crucial factors when developing a tyre for a series such as the World Touring Cars is to ensure that the benefits are equal for front and rear-wheel drive cars.”

The test itself took place at the Snetterton circuit in Norfolk, UK. All four manufacturers were invited to take part but SEAT and Alfa Romeo were unable to attend, so Chevrolet and BMW were represented by Nicola Larini and Augusto Farfus respectively. The British weather played its famous trump card, with an unusual warm and dry Indian Summer day greeting the teams and Yokohama, as they looked for wet weather.

The circuit organisers ensured that the track was wetted consistently to provide accurate conditions for the new tyre to be assessed, both in its own right and against the current version.

“The track owners did a fantastic job of ensuring we had consistent conditions throughout the test,” said Beveridge. “We compared the new tyre against the old version and found improvements in outright grip, steering response and overall handling, both on the front and rear wheel-drive cars. The drivers also reported a more secure feeling from the chassis with the new tyre in all conditions.

“We also ran the tyres on a drying track and again, found comparable improvements between the front and rear wheel-drive cars. The new tyre at least matched the current version in terms of performance and longevity on a drying track, so we are pleased with the results of this first test. It certainly appears that the new wet weather tyre is an improvement over the current version.”

Beveridge also confirmed that both teams, Chevrolet and BMW, had no complaints regarding the new tyre and are perfectly happy to accept it as a replacement for the current ADVAN A006.

The results of the test will now be forwarded to the FIA for consideration and potentially, subsequent approval of the tyre for production. Pending approval, the tyre should go into production ready for the start of the 2008 season.

Development of the ADVAN A006 racing wet tyre is very much in line with the manufacturer’s policy of constantly improving and developing its products, not only for the racetrack or rally stage but also for its range of road car products, for both wet and dry performance. It is this constant development that has led to the brand being chosen as original equipment on some of the world’s premier automotive brands, including Bentley, Aston Martin, Lotus, AMG Mercedes, Porsche and Honda.