Drivers in this weekend’s British Touring Car Championship races at Silverstone will benefit from increased freedom in their tyre choices, thanks to an increased carryover allowance.
Drivers will be provided with one set of white-labelled soft compound tyres and two sets of yellow-labelled medium compound tyres for the weekend action, along with being allowed to use up to three sets of carryover tyres from previous events, with a free choice of tyre compound in qualifying.
With the Silverstone National circuit featuring just one left-hand corner – at Brooklands – and four right-hand corners, the layout presents a unique challenge to the drivers.
“Silverstone presents one of our most fascinating technical challenges of the season,” explained Goodyear’s Mickey Butler, BTCC Event Leader for the tyre company.
“The circuit’s right-hand bias means teams must optimise their Goodyear tyres for sustained lateral loading, particularly through the rapid section from Woodcote, through Copse, Maggotts and onto the Wellington Straight.
“The short lap time intensifies everything, so race strategies become even more critical.
“The carryover tyre freedom adds another compelling strategic dimension. Teams can select from their accumulated compound inventory and deploy these tactically in qualifying.
“With Silverstone notorious for producing some of the closest racing of the season, every marginal gain from tyre strategy could prove decisive.”
Toyota’s Árón Taylor-Smith, who can count Silverstone as arguably his strongest circuit, provided further insight into how the Northamptonshire venue differs from other circuits on the calendar.
“Silverstone is a really odd one,” said Taylor-Smith. “You only set the car up to turn right because there’s only one left hander.
“You’ll have loads of negative camber on the outside left for mid-corner grip, but the inside right will be stood upright for traction and braking. The setup is really different compared to any other track.
“To drive, I describe it as frantic because in a race, you’re never more than a car length ahead or behind. You’re always nose to tail because the simplicity of the track makes the racecraft that little bit more exciting. The racecraft is what makes or breaks you, and makes you win or lose.”