Researchers in the US have punctured the appeal of prohibited tyre softening agents, marketed to racing teams as ‘undetectable’, by releasing a method for identifying them. The technique has already detected banned substances in 10 of 71 real tyre samples from competitors in United States Auto Club (USAC) races.
Softened tyres offer drivers improved grip and handling, shaving valuable seconds from lap times. However, racing associations have long recognised the dangers of hydrocarbon- and plasticiser-based softening agents. These chemicals act by penetrating and degrading the rubber in tyres, which can create unpredictable weak spots, and many are potent carcinogens that are easily inhaled or absorbed through the skin.
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Detection of prohibited treatment products on racing tires using headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS)
William Kranz, Clinton Carroll and John Vincent Goodpaster
Anal. Methods, 2015, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C5AY02657A, Paper
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