KnowHow team explains: Nitrogen makes up more than three-quarters of the air we breathe, making it environmentally safe. It is relatively non-combustible, non-flammable and non-corrosive, as opposed to oxygen, which makes up for about 21 per cent of the atmosphere. And in its natural form oxygen can be all three of the above.

Using nitrogen instead of compressed air has distinct advantages leading to immediate benefits for the car owner.

As nitrogen has more mass, it migrates through the tyres three to four times slower than normal air. This holds their psi (tyre pressure unit) for a longer period of time. It remains about 20 per cent cooler during races resulting in less tyre degradation. It also drastically reduces oxidation on the rim and inner-liner (nitrogen systems almost totally eliminate oxygen — the cause of oxidation — from the mix).

Air contains varying amounts of moisture due to changes in the relative humidity on a given day. Water causes air to be inconsistent in its rate of expansion and contraction. Nitrogen has a much more consistent rate of expansion and contraction compared to air. With track and tyre temperatures varying over the duration of a race, the consistency of nitrogen is needed.