EP400

Eagle F1 SuperSports on track……. Finding the limits

Introduction

Since owning the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres at the time of the track day I had driven around 3,000 miles. This is my second track review, this time at Castle Combe, organised by Swallows Jaguar Racing with an invite from PVE Engineering (a local tuning company).

My original plan was to be able to directly test these the Goodyear’s on track against the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 but unfortunately my new set of wheels were not available in the fitment I wanted and had to be specially ordered.

The conditions were changeable throughout the day, started out wet and gradually dried throughout the morning. For the afternoon the track was dry so it was a great test of the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres in different weather conditions.

The Track Day Review

“What were the Goodyear’s like in the wet and damp on track?”

For the morning sessions as it was my first time in the wet on track I’d left the traction control in sport mode as these Megane’s can be quite tail happy. Wet grip was generally good and progressive although I felt I could have probably pushed harder if the whole day had been wet as the traction control was cutting in quite a lot as you would expect trying to apply 360lb ft through the front wheels.

Greasy conditions were much more difficult than full wet, when the traction control cutting in it was potentially unsettling the car and I had a couple of oversteer moments where the car snapped quite quickly. In the damp and especially drying conditions under hard braking and corning the tyre was squealing and screeching so I was getting near the limit unlike on the road or at Goodwood.

“What were the Goodyear’s like in the dry on track?”

For the dry sessions the traction control and ESP was turned completely off therefore the gripper front differential was able to lock up and held pull the car out of corners which was very impressive.

The Goodyear’s held up well initially with good grip under braking, traction and cornering. Although they did start to squeal within a lap or two (which didn’t happen at Goodwood) and went ‘off’ and lost grip as they overheated.

The rear of the car became more mobile and unstable especially through the medium speed corners under full throttle, having to lift where earlier in the session I was flat, a good example of this was through Old Paddock Bend.

The front of the car also started to loose grip as the dry sessions went on and the front wheels tried to spin up under traction when the gripper diff was locked, it felt like the car was sliding across the track, especially out of Quarry corner.

“Can I compare the Goodyear’s to the Michelin’s on track without testing them back to back?”

I have had previous experience at Castle Combe on Michelin Pilot Sport 4’s but in a completely different car, a modified R56 Mini JCW. In the wet I’ve had a lot more experience in the Mini and with the traction control off I felt comfortable really pushing the car but didn’t find the limit in terms of oversteer, unlike with the Megane. The Megane is also trying to apply another 70bhp and 100lb ft of torque through the front wheels which is a lot and with the traction control on the gripper differential is not locking up.

In the dry the Michelin felt like it lost more laptime time when the tyre went off in my previous Mini JCW over a whole session. The Goodyear felt like it had more ultimate grip and more consistent lap times (even though it was still going off and overheating) compared to the Michelin.

Overall although they are different cars with different modifications at this time I would have had more confidence in the Mini in the wet, although the laptime of the Renault I suspect would be faster. In the dry I had much more confidence and preferred the Goodyear.

“Can I draw any conclusions from this track day?”

Even though the Megane was fast on track and wasn’t overtaken all day I have found the limits of grip especially in the dry. It has to be said this is a tyre which isn’t designed for hard track use and the Megane has had some significant upgrades meaning the tyre will be under a lot more strain than on a standard Megane.

For me to go significantly quicker on track in terms of outright and more consistent laptimes I would need to upgrade to a more track focused tyre. Although the temperatures were much cooler than Goodwood and I only stayed on track for around 10 minutes at a time I still found the limit of the tyre, especially in the dry.

What’s in the next blog?

The second road review where I’ve been using the tyres in the colder and wetter winter conditions whereas the previous review was mainly focused on dry, warmer conditions.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, if you have any questions or comments please post them.

Eagle F1 SuperSports on the road……. 2,500 miles in

Intro

Since owning the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres (in 235/40/18 size) I have driven around 2,500 miles. This will be my first road review and for this to be my own personal opinion I’ve not read any other reviews. As part of this I’ve also included answers to questions asked by Goodyear including scoring the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport against the previous tyre on the car, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4. Scores equate to the following: 1 (low) through to 5 (high) with 3 being no difference.

Eagle F1 SuperSports on the road

“So firstly what are these tyres like on a dry road?”

Well, dry grip is very good and the Eagle F1 SuperSport hangs on well throughout the corner with good traction under hard acceleration, mirroring my experience on track. Initial turn in and steering feel is also very good and inspires confidence to push on.

“Is there anything that could be improved in the dry?”

In much cooler conditions the Eagle F1 SuperSport feels like it needs some ‘warm up’ and can’t hold the 331bhp and 360lb ft in second gear initially, although I’ve found after driving for a while traction does seem to improve. Whereas when it’s warmer there is no loss of traction in second gear, so ideally I’d like a greater amount of traction when the conditions are cooler.

“Whats the dry grip like against the Pilot Sport 4?“

There isn’t as much of a performance difference as on track; where the Pilot Sport 4 ‘goes off’ and overheats and the Eagle F1 SuperSport has a much more consistent performance across the whole track session. I did not test the Pilot Sport 4 in cooler conditions so cannot comment on the grip levels in that scenario. Ultimately I’ve found the Eagle F1 SuperSport provides more grip in the dry on the road.

Dry grip vs Pilot Sport 4: 4/5

Dry handling / steering response vs Pilot Sport 4: 4/5

“What is the braking performance like on a dry road?”

In my track review one of my criticisms was that under really hard braking the rear of the car could feel a little unstable. On the road the amount of consistent heavy braking is much less but I’ve found the car to be more stable under braking on the road. One element that sometimes doesn’t help braking for the Eagle F1 SuperSport is the firmer ride over bumpy surfaces.

“Is there any braking differences on the road against the Pilot Sport 4?”

Overall, not really. The Eagle F1 SuperSport feels like it is slightly better on smooth roads but with the softer, more compliant ride the Pilot Sport 4 brakes better on bumpy roads, so for now there is not much to choose between them.

Dry braking vs Pilot Sport 4: 3/5

“In wet conditions what is the handling and braking like?”

As I have had very little mileage on the Eagle F1 SuperSports in wet conditions it is difficult to draw too many conclusions. Even so the initial impressions are positive although I have not really pushed the car either around corners or while braking. I can confirm though that both the Eagle F1 SuperSport and Pilot Sport 4 can hold full power in 3^rd gear but both spin the wheels when boost comes on in 2^nd second gear.

Wet handling vs Pilot Sport 4: 3/5

Wet braking vs Pilot Sport 4: 3/5

“What is the ride like?“

The ride is most definitely firmer than the Pilot Sport 4 and actually was the first difference I noticed immediately after changing the tyres. This is probably down to the stiffer sidewalls which assisted in the consistent track performance and I would liken the difference to adjusting a damper a couple of settings firmer. So far this is the area which Ideally I’d like to see an improvement as it can make the car a bit more unsettled over a bumpy road on cornering and braking. Although if I had to choose between the extra grip of the Eagle F1 Supersport or more comfortable ride of the Pilot Sport 4 I’d choose the extra grip every time.

Ride vs Pilot Sport 4: 2/5

“What about the tread and sidewall design?“

This is one element of a tyre which for most people won’t even be a consideration but I’d like to mention it. The tread pattern is sporty, especially the extra tread which comes out to the sidewall of the tyre, which is something I personally haven’t seen on a tyre I’ve bought before. As Goodyear hasn’t been in the UUHP (Ultra Ultra High Performance) market for a while I was hoping the Eagle F1 SuperSport logo would be more prominent for people to see as I feel it is too small to make a significant impact. I also prefer the sidewall design of the Pilot Sport 4 as this has a consistent sidewall angle, whereas the Eagle F1 SuperSport has what looks like a thin bulge running around the middle of the sidewall.

Design vs Pilot Sport 4: 3/5

“Would I recommend the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport to a friend?”

Yes I definitely would and have done on several Facebook groups already when responding to posts about tyres.

“Would you choose the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport for your next tyre change?”

Yes at this point I am planning on fitting another set of Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres.

“How would I summarise the overall performance vs the Michelin Pilot Sport 4?”

On the road I’ve found the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport performs really well, the best element is the dry grip and handling when compared against the Michelin Pilot Sport 4. The one element I would like to see an improvement would be the ride, if the same grip level could be retained but give the tyre a bit more compliance that would definately improve the handling and braking on bumpy roads, of which we have a lot in the UK. Overall I feel the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport is a better road tyre from the conditions I’ve tested in so far, backed up by my answers to the two questions directly above.

Overall performance vs Pilot Sport 4: 3.5/5

“Whats next?“

I have a track day booked at Castle Combe on the 15^th October so my next review will be track based again and should include some more on track videos.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, if you have any questions or comments please post them.

Eagle F1 SuperSports @ Goodwood

Intro

Firstly a massive thank you to Goodyear for the opportunity. Having had the car about a week I was fortunate to be chosen to long term test the new Eagle F1 SuperSport tyre.

On my last 3 cars (Audi A3 3.2, B8 Audi S4 Avant and R56 Mini FJCW) I have run Michelin Pilot Sport 4 or 4S tyres (as I know a lot of people currently run Michelins) and I was keen to see how this latest Goodyear tyre compares. I will be writing a number of reviews throughout the life of the tyre and this first review is following the Evo Magazine track day at Goodwood on 1^st July of which this review will focus on track performance only. In order to try and be impartial I have not read any reviews of this tyre so all the opinions below are my own.

Tyres on Track

As I’ve never driven the Goodwood circuit before and had only had the car just over a week I built up steadily especially over the first session. The tyres gave me confidence from the start of each session and didn’t really require any warm up. The initial turn in was good and the tyre held on well throughout the corner and I didn’t have any wheel spin even on full throttle (or really any hint of wheel spin). Braking stability was good, although on really hard braking the rear of the car did move around a little bit but that is probably to be expected. What impressed me the most was how the tyres held up over the whole session (especially as the car was registering near 30 degrees and track temperature must have been over 30 degrees all afternoon) and how consistent the grip level was compared to other road tyres I’ve used on track (Michelin Pilot Sport 4 especially). Normally these tyres will have decent levels of grip at the start but through a normal 15 minute session they will start to go off and overheat loosing grip, normally resulting in understeer and wheel spin in the traction zones. The high speed corning and stability was also good and gave me confidence to take Fordwater flat out in the final session.

Did I have any negatives regarding the tyre on track? Apart from occasionally the rear end moving around under braking not really, obviously you always want even more grip on track but there are two tyres in the Goodyear range which would do that; SuperSport R and SuperSport RS. On one or two occasions I pushed too hard into Woodcote and had to back out and there was a bit of understeer but I’ve noticed on the road if I don’t accelerate enough through the corner and use the diff properly the car can do this anyway. For me this is definitely the best tyre I have used on track which isn’t a proper ‘track’ tyre and I’m basing my opinions compared with other road tyres. Of course I know that proper ‘track’ tyres will have more grip in all aspects of track driving. This has certainly given me something to think about whether to save the expense and hassle of additional wheels and tyres if I’m only doing a couple of track days a year.

I only managed to video my final session which is on YouTube in the video below if you’re interested in seeing how the tyre performs, looking at the rough lap times they are consistent throughout the session and don’t drop off, backing up my initial impressions. All laps where I don’t get held up or have to back off are approximately 1 minute 33 seconds.

My next review will focus on the road driving, hopefully we will have a mixture of wet and dry weather over the coming weeks so I can test out different aspects in different driving conditions.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, if you have any questions or comments please post them.

Video evidence

The basics…….

Straight roads are for fast cars, turns are for fast drivers.
Colin McRae

I have a Megane 265 Trophy (number 49/50) which has a few modifications currently running 331bhp and 360lb ft of torque with a motorsport gripper front differential to handle the extra power. I am currently running on Megane 250 cup 18” wheels with 235/40/R18 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport tyres, kindly gifted by Goodyear for me to have a play around on.
I used to kart when I was younger for around 6 years and competed in Nationals for a year, I also love a good track day and I’ve been to the Nurburgring twice with a few jaunts around the Alps and the Autobahns thrown in. I have had various modified vehicles starting out with a mighty Rover Metro 114 GSi, the humblest of starts…….
I am out regularly on a Sunday for A and B road blasts with friends and I would describe my driving style as smooth but fast (probably back from my karting days).