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The FIA's current rule regarding tire wear states that there must be "visible" grooves on the tire, when the teams are finished with them.
The Michelins were obviously borderline after the Malay GP, but were deemed OK under the current (obscure) rule.
Bridgestone has informed the FIA of their desire to have the rules clarified.
If the FIA wants to limit grip, they could create a spec. for slick tires that would have the same contact patch as the current grooved ones - just by making the tires smaller.
I think that the racing would improve (without sacrificing safety) if the FIA made the following changes:
1. Reduce aerodynamic aids by 50%
2. Return to slick tires, 50% larger than the current ones
3. Reduce engine displacement enough to compensate for #1
With more mechanical grip, and less aerodynamic grip, I believe we would see a lot more passing. With less aero. grip, cars could race close without having to contend so much with "dirty air" from the car ahead of them.
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