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Worn tyres on the car of Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG W10
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Analysis

How F1 teams extract the maximum from their tyres

You might not think ride quality enters the equation when setting up an F1 car but, as Pat Symonds explains, unlocking the potential of the tyres requires many compromises

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When evaluating a high-performance car's suspension, road testers usually discuss the compromises that must be made between ride and handling. Strictly speaking they should add mechanical grip to that discussion, because a vehicle can handle well but have very low grip - or be well endowed with grip but have dynamics that make it difficult to exploit that grip.

It would be easy to regard ride as the domain of road cars, but while F1 designers are not quite as concerned about occupant comfort as Rolls Royce might be, it would be wrong to say they dismiss it.

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