During braking and cornering, weight transfer shifts load from inner to outer tires. Which statement best describes its effect on grip?

• A. Weight shifts to inner tires, increasing grip there.
• B. Weight shifts to outer tires, increasing grip on the outer tires while reducing grip on the inner tires.
• C. Weight transfer has no impact on tire grip.
• D. Weight shifts evenly to all four tires during braking.

Answer: (B)

When a car brakes and corners, physics shifts the vertical load toward the outside wheels. Grip on each tire is, to a first approximation, proportional to the normal load it carries (grip ≈ μ times normal force). So as the outside tires take on more load, they can generate more braking or cornering grip, while the inside tires, with less load, have reduced grip. This is why the statement describing outer tires gaining grip and inner tires losing grip best captures what actually happens: weight moves to the outside, boosting grip there and lowering it on the inside.