Jul 9, 2016 2:05 PM

Gallery: The Brutally Secretive Life of the Racing Tire

Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters
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At the Austrian GP last week, the rear right tire on Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari disintegrated, ending his race.
Tom Fowlks for WIRED
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Like most everything on an F1 car, tires are designed to operate at a certain temperatures. Deviate from that and performance suffers. At the 2014 US GP in Austin, Red Bull mechanics put heated blankets on tires to keep them warm, and use dry ice to blow cool air over the engine radiators.

Tom Fowlks for WIRED
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Tire companies are fiercely protective of their IP, marking and tracking each tire they make.
Tom Fowlks for WIRED
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Ignoring the festivities, team mechanics wash the tires to make them look good, and to wash off dirt that adds weight and hurts aerodynamics. After the race, the tires will be shipped overseas and incinerated, to keep Pirelli's secret compounds away from competitors.

Tom Fowlks for WIRED
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After all, these are the most technologically advanced products these companies produce, and everything about them eventually makes its way to the tires on your car. And that is where the real money is made.
Tom Fowlks for WIRED
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Used tires go to incinerators in unmarked trucks, accompanied by security guards.

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