Some of these advancements have been the result of Pirelli’s production ideas. Pirelli has always laid particular emphasis on road safety, and it is doing something odd this year. It will supply 18-inch tyres to F1, a new requirement to maintain F1’s demanding standards.
How does it matter?

Until this time, all Formula One tyres have been 16-inch ones. These are the same tyres that all of the competing companies currently use. With the introduction of 18-inch tyres, the driving conditions will change significantly.

The report that Pirelli will introduce a new tyre size comes from an excellent source: Pirelli boss Mario Isola himself said this. But how will this affect the production of these tyres?

Changes that matter

It is not merely a change in aesthetics. The cars themselves will undergo a radical change. Two other things will also need to change:

• The aerodynamics of these cars will have to change.
• These cars will require redesigned brakes too.

For example, take two dominant teams of 2018: Red Bull and Mercedes. These two teams use Pirelli tyres but are different in all other aspects. However, once their tyres scale up to 18 inches, these cars will have a markedly changed aerodynamic structure.

Ferrari, for example, will look forward to changing the basic structure of their models. This change will eventually trickle down to passenger cars. Shortly, the prices of these tyres will also go down, and mark a shift in consumer behaviour. Most places will reflect this change: cheap car tyres in Spalding will then become a reality as well.

But my car doesn’t support 18-inch tyres!

At this moment, no passenger car supports 18-inch wheels. It is only a proposition, one made by the authorities of Formula One. If these tyres are successful on the racing tracks, only then they will be of any use in the domestic industry.

Besides, remember that with bigger wheels, a car’s basic shape will change. They will start resembling cars commonly seen in science fiction movies.

But are they practical?

Well, the short answer to that is: no one knows at the time. With bigger tyres, fuel consumption may go up. Then again, the wizards at Pirelli will probably conjure up some other technological innovations to tackle it.

Before you buy Pirelli’s next-gen tyres…

Remember that tyre technology changes every year. The 18-inch wheel design may not last too long, in which case it will not make any sense in buying them. Whenever you check out the extensive collection of Matmore Motor Parts tyres in Spalding, remember that not everything seen on racing circuits makes its way to the consumer industry.

To cut to the chase, wait for a few years before upgrading.