If you look at the brand-new Michelin Pilot Sport Endurance tyres on the Hypercar and GTP machinery this season, you will have noticed something highly unusual. Instead of the traditionally smooth, glossy surface of a racing slick, the 2026 Hypercar rubber features a distinctive visible pattern.
Slick tyres are supposed to maximize the contact patch with the asphalt, which leaves many asking a simple question: Why does a dry-weather racing tyre have a tread pattern?
