DISPLAY
First, Jens answered these questions: "What are tires made of? " (Part 1), "How are tires made ”(Part 2) and now it gets really exciting- Jens gets to the bottom of the question: How do you become a tire tester?
Christian Franck is a test driver for Goodyear-Dunlop and one would casually refer to him as a “tire tester”. So he is exactly the right person to explain to you how to become a tire test driver and what you do as a tire tester all day.
The everyday life of a tire test driver
The life of a tire tester is of course far less spectacular than you might imagine. For days you drive the same laps, the same curves, constantly changing the tires on the vehicle, comparing, changing again and driving the same lap again. Testing tires is a job that requires a trained pop meter. In addition to the objective measured values that can be read, it is above all subjective experiences that flow into the assessment of a tire. How does a tire feel? Is it a rather doughy steering behavior, or does it react brittle to inputs on the steering wheel? Many parameters are so-called “soft parameters” for assessing the tire.
"Half the time is preparation and follow-up for a test"
The collected measurements and subjective experiences must be meticulously recorded. Only when the tire tester understands his job and takes it seriously does a premium tire come out. Until then, a tire tester drives thousands of kilometers.
Many tire testers have their roots in motorsport. Christian Franck, the tire tester Jens met for an interview in Miraval, France, on the Goodyear-Dunlop test track, also comes from motorsport. In the video, Christian Franck reveals what the most important talents of a tire test driver are.