Gallery: The Brutally Secretive Life of the Racing Tire

  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Automobile Car Human Person Formula One Fire Truck and Truck
    Dominic Ebenbichler/Reuters
    01

    RacingTire-RTX2JHEP.jpg

    At the Austrian GP last week, the rear right tire on Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari disintegrated, ending his race.
  • Image may contain Transportation Vehicle Race Car Automobile Sports Car Car Human Person Pit Stop and Footwear
    Tom Fowlks for WIRED
    02

    FolksTire1.jpg

    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.
  • Image may contain Human Person Tent Musical Instrument Musician and Tripod
    Tom Fowlks for WIRED
    03

    FolksTire4.jpg

    Tire companies are fiercely protective of their IP, marking and tracking each tire they make.
  • This image may contain Tire Human Person Helmet Clothing and Apparel
    Tom Fowlks for WIRED
    04

    FolksTire2.jpg

    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.
  • Image may contain Building Electronics Tent Screen Monitor and Display
    Tom Fowlks for WIRED
    05

    FolksTire3.jpg

    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.
  • Image may contain Tire Wheel Machine Car Wheel Alloy Wheel and Spoke
    Tom Fowlks for WIRED
    06

    FolksTire5.jpg

    Used tires go to incinerators in unmarked trucks, accompanied by security guards.
Read More
Wrongful Arrest Exposes Failures in One of the Oldest Police Face-Recognition Tools in the US
The ACLU is suing two Florida police departments over the arrest of a Fort Myers man in a child-abduction case, saying officers treated a flawed face recognition match as a near-certain ID.
Dell Cameron
China Opens World’s First Wind-Powered Underwater Data Center
With an initial capacity of 24 megawatts, the innovative data center uses seawater as a natural cooling system.
Fernanda González
These Are the Best $400 Digital Notebooks
The newest Kindle Scribe means there are now three digital notebooks you can buy in the $400 price range. Here’s which one you should get.
Nena Farrell
The Best Kindles to Take Your Library Anywhere
I’ve tried every single Kindle. Here’s how Amazon’s ebook readers stack up.
Nena Farrell
Get the Most Out of Your iPad With These Accessories
Kit out your Apple tablet with our favorite stands, cases, keyboards, and styli.
Julian Chokkattu
Finally, Some Affordable Laptops That Won’t Fail You in College
Laptops for college should be portable, offer long battery life, and remain reasonably affordable. Based on testing hundreds of laptops, these are my top picks.
Luke Larsen
The Other Major Soccer Event of 2026? The Shake-Up in the World of Video Games
The 48-team World Cup is not the only historic soccer event this year. Four titans are vying for control of video game soccer in the fiercest battle the industry has ever seen.
Javier Rodríguez
Soccer Fans, You’re Being Watched
From anti-drone tech to face recognition, 2026 World Cup stadiums in the US, Canada, and Mexico are subjecting fans to an array of surveillance tech. Here’s what you need to know.
Vas Panagiotopoulos
The World Cup’s Trionda Ball Challenges Traditional Aerodynamics
According to new research, Trionda would show less unpredictable movements in actions such as corner kicks or free kicks. However, in powerful and long-distance clearances it would lose range.
Fernanda González
Artificial Intelligence Sneaks Into the World Cup Thanks to Google Gemini
The Argentine national team will be Google’s test bench and technological showcase during the World Cup.
Rosa Jiménez Cano
How to Watch the 2026 World Cup
The games start June 11 and end with a grand finale in New Jersey on July 19. There are 104 of them. Here’s how to watch ’em all.
Boone Ashworth
Mapping Every Flock License Plate Reader Near US World Cup Stadiums
Most US World Cup stadiums are surrounded by surveillance cameras. Want to know if you’re being watched on your way to a match? These maps will help you.
Maddy Varner