Every time we brake, corner, or accelerate, the contact patches change. When we accelerate, the contact patches grow in the rear and lessen in the front because of the transfer of the vehicle weight to the rear of the car. Under braking, the front tire patches get larger while the rears decrease in size, again because of weight transfer. When cornering, the outside patches grow while the inside patches diminish. That’s the key to car control. Jamming on the brakes, throwing the car into a turn, even accelerating too aggressively.
