Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton and Martin Whitmarsh on the Santander Italian GP

JENSON BUTTON
MP4-26A-04
Started: 3rd
Finished: 2nd
Fastest lap: 1m26.207s (+0.020s, 2nd)
Pitstops: Two: laps 17 and 33 (Op-Op-Pr)
2011 points: 167 (3rd)

“It’s nice to have fought my way back through to second – but it’s frustrating to have had a problem at the start with the clutch, because it cost me dearly. I dropped back to sixth, then, at the restart, I had no way of keeping Mark [Webber] back, because his straightline speed was so strong, so I slipped to seventh.

“Obviously, that enabled the leaders to get a long way out in front, and I was delayed by a further four or five seconds when Mark and Felipe [Massa] tangled in front of me at Turn One.

“After that, I was able to get my head down and passed Lewis and Michael [Schumacher] within the space of about five corners, which was really satisfying. After that, I set about closing down Fernando [Alonso], it was great to be able to secure second because we got some good points for the team.

“On the whole, the team’s done a great job this weekend, but it’s the little problems that are frustrating: if you have one of those, then you’re not going to beat Red Bull and Sebastian [Vettel]. Hopefully, we’ll have no problems at the next race because if we can get everything together then we can challenge for a win.”

LEWIS HAMILTON
MP4-26A-01
Started: 2nd
Finished: 4th
Fastest lap: 1m26.187s (1st)
Pitstops: Two: laps 18 and 34 (Op-Op-Pr)
2011 points: 158 (5th)

“It was a good race: I finished and I got some points, so I can’t really complain.

“At the restart, Michael [Schumacher] was on my outside; I was looking at him in my mirrors, then, all of a sudden, the guys ahead had gone, so I missed an opportunity to slipstream Sebastian [Vettel]. So they caught me napping.

“We were a little bit slow on the straight today, which meant it was hard to get past Michael, who was faster along the straight even when I had my DRS activated. I had to really fight Schumacher, but the fact that I finished ahead of him meant everything was okay. That’s racing.

“The support we’ve had in Italy – the weather, the fans – has all been incredible and I’m really looking forward to coming back here again next year.

“I doubt it’s still possible to beat Sebastian for the title, but we’ll keep pushing. For now, I’m looking ahead to the flyaways – they’re going to be exciting and I’m really focused on getting some more wins for the team.”

MARTIN WHITMARSH
Team principal, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

“Today our cars were the quickest of the lot – Lewis posted fastest lap, while Jenson took second-fastest lap – but unfortunately our drivers didn’t get off to good enough starts. The result was that they spent much of the race stuck behind Michael [Schumacher], whose Mercedes-Benz was remarkably quick in a straight line and extremely ‘wide’ on the approaches to the corners.

“Meanwhile, Seb [Vettel] was able to pull away, which was deeply frustrating for us because we knew we had the pace to take the race to him, had our guys got off to better starts.

“But that’s motor racing: you’ve got to qualify well, start well and race well. Well, this weekend we qualified pretty well, we raced very well, but we didn’t start well enough.

“Even so, we scored 30 world championship points this afternoon, consolidating our second place in the constructors’ world championship and pulling out a margin of 71 points over our closest challenger.

“Now, we embark on a tough run of six fly-away races, starting in Singapore in two weeks’ time and ending in Brazil in late November. There are still a lot of points up for grabs, and we’ll be doing our damnedest to bag as many of them as we possibly can.”

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Bridgestone’s final Formula 1 race saw an epic and exciting Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel taking his fifth win of the season to become the youngest-ever Formula 1 world champion.

Vettel won by using a Bridgestone Potenza super soft – medium tyre strategy. He was joined on the podium by both Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers, 2008 champion Lewis Hamilton and outgoing champion, Jenson Button, also using the same strategy.
It was a thrilling conclusion to Bridgestone’s 14 year tenure in Formula 1. During this time, 11 drivers’ and constructors’ championships, 175 race wins, 170 fastest laps and 168 pole positions were achieved on the 700,000 Bridgestone Potenza Formula 1 tyres produced.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel for snatching the drivers’ championship in such a strong fashion today. This is our last race, but it comes at the end of a fantastic season where there has been a great championship battle as a fitting finale to all the drama and excitement we have enjoyed over the past 14 seasons. Our brand awareness has grown tremendously in this period and our worldwide sales companies have supported us with numerous activities and events. In addition to thanking all the Bridgestone personnel I would like to thank everyone in Formula 1 for all the friendships and support we have enjoyed over the years. Thank you also to all the Formula 1 and motorsport fans around the world, I hope you have enjoyed our passion for excellence.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today was a race where Bridgestone Potenza tyres allowed a variety of strategies, great tension and immense excitement right up to the chequered flag. It was appropriate that the driver with the most pole positions won the championship. Sebastian Vettel is a driver who often speaks to the Bridgestone engineers to understand how to get the most from our tyres and his ability has been highlighted many times this season, not least today. Both compounds performed well. Jenson showed that the super soft could be durable if managed well and Robert showed the value of the reverse strategy from the frontrunners. Formula 1 has been a worthwhile, valuable and satisfying project for Bridgestone and I would like to thank everyone who has been involved over the past 14 years. Thank you.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.19 – Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Super Soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

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www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Bridgestone’s penultimate Formula 1 race saw an epic and exciting Brazilian Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel taking his fourth win of the season and his Red Bull Racing team winning the constructors’ championship.
Vettel led team-mate Mark Webber across the line, with Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Fernando Alonso finishing third. All three drivers used the same super soft – medium Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy. As a complete contrast to yesterday’s damp qualifying, the race saw hot and dry weather conditions.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Red Bull Racing for winning the Constructors’ Championship today and well done to Sebastian, Mark and Fernando for such strong drives to the podium. Thank you Sao Paulo and Brazil for such a warm welcome over the many years we have been visiting. We always enjoy great racing here and the millions of fans around the world saw Bridgestone’s tyres showcased in this fantastic race. The drivers’ championship is very much alive so we are looking forward to next weekend’s final race of the season, which will also be Bridgestone’s last.”
Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“The weather was very different from yesterday’s damp conditions and we started the race with a very green track. This meant that the super soft compound was less durable at the start of the race when the track surface was at its worst. As we predicted, at around a third of the race distance the surface had improved significantly. Rubens and Kamui showed the benefits of the super soft compound in the later, better conditions. This meant that when there was a safety car period, many drivers also changed back to the super soft. Aside from the top three, there was a good variety of tyre strategies today. Overall, our tyres performed very well whatever the weather conditions over this weekend so I am very satisfied.”

Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies Rd.18 – Brazilian Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Brazilian Grand Prix, the super soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

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www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Fernando Alonso scored his fifth win of the season after using a wet – wet – intermediate Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy in a dramatic first-ever Korean Grand Prix. Alonso won the rain delayed and suspended race which started and restarted behind the safety car. All drivers began on Bridgestone’s wet tyres and were able to change to the intermediate tyres as conditions improved once racing began.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished second and Alonso’s team-mate Felipe Massa took third, both using the same tyre strategy as Alonso. Red Bull Racing’s championship contenders, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel both failed to finish.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Today we witnessed a great first ever Korean Grand Prix and I am proud of Bridgestone’s contribution. Congratulations to Fernando and Ferrari for their win and also to Lewis for his good charge to second place. Also it is good to see Felipe back on the podium and Michael finish in fourth. This was a tough event and I must praise the FIA, the organisers, officials and marshals at the track as well as the teams for maintaining professionalism throughout. The organisers have done a fantastic job to bring Formula 1 to this new and exciting market and I think many fans here and around the world enjoyed this superb race.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“There was so much drama and anticipation today! The delays were frustrating for all but safety is everyone’s primary concern and the visibility was too poor to race. Both the intermediate and wet tyre performed very well and we saw Fernando manage his tyres excellently to maintain good pace right to the finish line. This was Bridgestone’s first and last Korean Grand Prix and I will be proud of the performance of all of our specifications of tyres over the weekend here in Yeongam.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.17 – Korea Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Korea Grand Prix, the Soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Sebastian Vettel stormed to the first ever pole position for the Korean Grand Prix after setting a scintillating lap time of 1min 35.585secs with Bridgestone’s soft compound Potenza tyre. Vettel displaced his team-mate Mark Webber from pole by less than a tenth of a second at the Korean International Circuit in Yeongam. Sunday’s race will see the eighth all Red Bull Racing front row this season with Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Fernando Alonso and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton on the second row. Renault F1 Team driver Robert Kubica was fastest in the morning practice, also using the soft compound Bridgestone Potenza. Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development What was significant about today’s running? “Today we saw a very close and exciting battle for pole on an improving track surface which provided good entertainment for everyone. The surface evolution was very progressive today meaning that the tyre graining we have seen so far diminished, although it was still a factor.” What are the tyre strategy considerations for the race? “The track surface condition is still not the same as we would generally see heading into a race and this is our first ever time here meaning that everyone will be very reactive to the developing situation. I am very interested to see how the track surface changes tomorrow afternoon. The top ten drivers start with their qualifying tyres, so the number of laps they completed today is a factor, especially as they will start with a full fuel load with the softer option tyre. Because of this we would expect relatively early stops from them. Given the circumstances we have seen so far this weekend, a two stop strategy is certainly worthy of consideration. If the rain that some predict does arrive then everything gets very interesting indeed as no-one knows what to expect.”

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel scored his third win of the season after using a soft-hard Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy in a fast-paced, close and exciting Japanese Grand Prix.
Pole-man Vettel led team-mate Mark Webber across the line by less than a second for Red Bull Racing’s third 1-2 of the season. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Fernando Alonso finished third.
Shoshi Arakawa – Bridgestone Chairman of the Board, CEO and President, says
“Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing on their victory today. It was unfortunate that qualifying was postponed however we were rewarded with a wonderful and exciting race in the sun which was enjoyed by many fans including myself. For Bridgestone it was our final home Grand Prix. I am proud that we have supported the pinnacle of motorsport for the last 14 years. I would like to thank all the teams, drivers, fans and everyone involved in Formula 1. I wish Formula 1 a prosperous future. We look forward to supporting all teams and drivers for the remaining three races.”
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Well done to Red Bull for their third 1-2 of the season and Ferrari and Fernando for their third place in a fantastic race here at Suzuka. I am happy that so many spectators enjoyed this race and that our Bridgestone brand was so well represented by the on track performance. Our name has been seen all around the world through our prominent track branding. I think that Formula 1 is a great asset for Bridgestone and I am looking forward to the final three races of this exciting championship battle.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“We enjoyed a thrilling race with different tyre strategies and very strong tyre performance from both compounds, even from the start when the track surface was still green. After half distance the track surface had improved a lot with the rubber being laid assisted by the fabulous warm weather. Even at the start of the race our soft tyre gave solid performance when the conditions were most difficult for it. We are very proud to have shown our passion for excellence with superb tyres which allowed close racing with no safety issues. I am also very happy that there is another strong Japanese presence in Formula 1 with Kamui, who made many overtaking moves today.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.16 – Japan Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Japan Grand Prix, the Soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Michael Schumacher, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS Formula One team driver and seven times World Champion, landed in Japan yesterday (6 October, 2010) ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix of Japan and paid Bridgestone the great honour of heading straight from the airport to the company’s headquarters in Tokyo. Five of Schumacher’s seven world championship titles have been taken on Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres and so his arrival at the global headquarters of Formula One’s Official Tyre Supplier was met with huge excitement by the company’s employees.   Schumacher started his visit with an audience with Mr. Shoshi Arakawa, the Corporation’s Chairman of the Board, CEO and President. They were also joined by Vice President and Senior Officer Member of the Board Mr. Mikio Masunaga, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport Tyre Development Hirohide Hamashima and General Manager Motorsport Division Naotaka Horio. Mr Arakawa warmly welcomed Schumacher to Tokyo and they spoke at length about Bridgestone’s time in Formula One, the many on track battles the driver and Bridgestone had experienced together over the years and also how Schumacher was looking forward to spending time in Japan again.    Next on the schedule was a Talk Show for the headquarter employees where the star driver answered questions alongside Hamashima about how, facilitated by Bridgestone, he got a drive in F3000 before then swiftly graduating to Formula One. He then went on to talk about Bridgestone’s strengths and the company’s support for the MAKE CARS GREEN and THINK BEFORE YOU DRIVE campaigns. Hamashima meanwhile told the eager audience all about Michael Schumacher’s attention for detail when it came to getting the best out of tyre performance and how he had missed many a good restaurant reservation over the years as a result of his long discussions with the driver at the circuit! To the delight of the audience Schumacher concluded the Talk Show by selecting five lucky employees to come up on stage and receive an autographed Bridgestone cap. Schumacher then made a brief pitstop at one of Bridgestone’s flagship Cockpit tyre dealership stores where he was greeted by a select crowd of Bridgestone customers and dealers. Schumacher was given a tour of the store and the products on display by the store manager before he answered questions for the guests and took part in a group photo. Michael Schumacher’s visit was of special significance to Bridgestone as the company is celebrating 14 years of success in Formula One as its time as Official Tyre Supplier draws to a close. Also to mark the occasion the company will have a special stage within the Suzuka Circuit vending zone this weekend for Formula One fans where a host of special guests, including Formula One drivers and Bridgestone motorsport staff will take to the stage. A special display of Bridgestone’s heritage in Formula One and its tyres will also be present for race fans to enjoy.

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Fernando Alonso scored his third win of the season after using a soft-hard Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy in a fast-paced, close and exciting Italian Grand Prix.
Pole-man Alonso lost out to second qualifying Jenson Button (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) at the start of the race, but retook the lead in the pit stops to lead the reigning champion across the finish line by 2.9 seconds. Felipe Massa (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) finished third, just 1.2 seconds behind Button.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Ferrari and Fernando Alonso for a great win. This is a great result for the championship in the final Grand Prix in Europe for Bridgestone. So many Bridgestone guests and personnel were here to enjoy a superb Grand Prix and we were happy to see the Bridgestone branding on the track basking in glorious sunshine and beamed around the world today. I would like to thank all the Italian fans and the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza for so many great times for us over the years at this fantastic motorsport venue.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“We saw a good range of strategy options today in a very exciting race and I am happy that our tyres performed so strongly to allow good racing throughout the field. Watching the battle between the different set-ups of Jenson and Fernando was fascinating and both drivers drove impeccably. Seeing Sebastian run until the last lap on the same soft option tyres with which he qualified illustrates the strength and performance of our tyres at this high-speed racing venue. We are proud of the safety of our tyres even when faced with a tough test such as this. We did see some minor blistering on some tyres today, but nothing to cause concern or affect performance. Thank you Monza for a great race.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.14 – Italy Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Italian Grand Prix, the Soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won a thrilling mixed weather Belgian Grand Prix by using a soft – hard – intermediate tyre strategy at Spa.
Two safety car periods occurred during the course of the 44 lap race in the Belgian Ardennes forests with numerous incidents taking place throughout the field. Hamilton won after making a great start and surviving a gravel excursion whilst on dry tyres on an increasingly wet track. Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber finished second and Renault F1 Team’s Robert Kubica finished third.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Once more Spa Francorchamps has provided us with typically difficult weather conditions which gave us a very exciting race. We saw many spectators brave the wet conditions all weekend and they were rewarded with fantastic action. Bridgestone’s brand awareness in Europe has been expanded enormously by our participation in Formula 1 over the past 14 years. This was the home Grand Prix for Bridgestone Europe, who are based in Brussels, so we thank them for hosting Bridgestone Motorsport for a final time here in Spa.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“The Spa weather gave us a very difficult situation, even for our last visit here. This was a very tough day for those on track and those on the pit wall. Spa has such a long lap that you cannot be on the correct tyre for an entire lap as the conditions can vary from very wet to damp to dry over the undulating 7 km of this fabulous track . Judging the level of grip, even when you are not on the correct tyre, is a very important aspect of the art of driving a racing car, so it was a pleasure to watch this art in practice. Even the very best drivers in the world can make mistakes in conditions like we had today, and those who were able to minimise their mistakes were able to achieve good results. Congratulations to Lewis for his win, accomplished despite a run through a gravel trap using dry tyres on a wet section of the track. Making a perfect tyre is a very difficult challenge, however the four tyres we had here today covered the range of conditions we experienced admirably and we thank our technicians in Tokyo for their fine efforts to develop such good tyres.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.13 – Belgian Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Belgian Grand Prix, the soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber used a fantastic super soft – medium Bridgestone tyre strategy to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and take the lead of the Formula 1 drivers’ championship.
Webber completed a mammoth 43 lap first stint on the same set of Bridgestone super soft tyres with which he qualified, continuing to set fastest laps right up until changing to the medium compound, despite searing temperatures at the Hungaroring. He led Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Fernando Alonso across the line by over 17 seconds.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Mark Webber and Red Bull for a fantastic win. He used a great strategy to use the Bridgestone super soft tyres for 43 laps, so well done to him and to the team for their good calls from the pit wall. Ferrari again performed well with second and fourth, with particular mention of Felipe Massa for scoring good points at the venue of his accident last year. We must mention Vitaly Petrov for his best result of fifth, and thank him for his recent visit to Bridgestone Russia. Kamui Kobayashi impressed by starting in 23rd but finishing in ninth on a good day for BMW Sauber, with both cars finishing in the top ten. Many spectators enjoyed this race, and from Bridgestone’s perspective we had many important guests and utilised this Grand Prix very well for our market activities. We were honoured to be joined by Mr Ohashi, CEO and President of Bridgestone Europe, and thank him and Bridgestone Europe for their support in our final F1 season.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“I am very happy with the superb performance of both compounds of Bridgestone Potenza tyres here at the Hungaroring. This is a circuit where our tyres excelled in our first Formula 1 season in 1997, and now they have excelled in our final season too. This was a very tactical race where teams had to adapt their strategies because of the safety car. Mark drove very well, and maximised his use of the same set of super soft tyres with which he qualified. He was pulling away from his opposition right up to his pit stop on lap 43, despite hot temperatures here. I must mention Williams and Rubens Barrichello for using a different strategy to most by starting on the prime tyre. Without the safety car I think this would have also been very strong in terms of making use of the potential tyre performance and Rubens was very determined despite tough opposition at this difficult to pass circuit.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.12 – Hungary Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Super Soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro’s Fernando Alonso won a fast-paced and tactical German Grand Prix by using a super soft – hard Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy in Hockenheim.
Alonso won his second race of the season, his first since the season-opener in Bahrain, leading team-mate Felipe Massa across the line. Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel finished third.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Ferrari for their second 1-2 of the season. Germany is a very important market for us and Bridgestone are happy to have contributed to the excitement we saw today. Even in our final season of Formula 1 we continue to work positively with the sport and I am proud that we continue to push with aspects such as our compound allocation for races.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Both compounds worked better than we expected. The super soft lasted very well. A good example of this was Jenson Button who was to gain position by staying on the super soft for his first stint longer than the other front runners. The hard compound did take longer to warm-up than we usually see with the prime tyre, and we saw evidence of this in the race with locked brakes, less grip in the corners and lower traction before it was in its correct temperature operating range. I believe that today was a good illustration of the strength of our development engineers in Japan. These tyres were designed before the start of the season, and we have many changes such as the narrower front tyres, and no more refuelling meaning heavier cars. Despite this, our engineers have produced tyres capable of working well with this season’s cars, even when we try an extreme allocation as we did here.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.11 – German Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly
distinguishable from each other. At the German Grand Prix, the super soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel won a high speed and action-packed European Grand Prix on the streets of Valencia after using a super soft-medium Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy.
Vettel crossed the line ahead of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. There was a safety car period early in the race after a dramatic exit for Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing). Nine cars, including third place finishing Jenson Button, were being investigated after the race for their safety car in lap time.

Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing for their win today. Well done also to Kamui Kobayashi for using a great tyre strategy for a strong result for the BMW Sauber F1 Team, who have had many changes to the team since last season, so this was great points finish for them. We are happy that Mark Webber had no serious injuries from his dramatic accident. This was a very exciting race set against the great backdrop of Valencia city.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today tyre performance was strong from both tyres, and we saw fastest laps being set by both compounds. The track conditions continued to improve throughout the race. Sebastian Vettel drove very strongly and he did not fall foul of the rules, unlike other drivers today. Kamui Kobayashi demonstrated the durability of the medium tyres here with his long first stint, setting competitive lap times, even with over 50 laps completed on them. He was then able to use the super soft tyres when the track was most rubbered in, enabling him to overtake even on a track which is not well known for its overtaking opportunities. Even though our tyres were durable, the rear right on Nico Hulkenberg’s car was unable to withstand the difficult circumstances it faced there from a non tyre related issue.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.9 – European Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the European Grand Prix, the super soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won a thrilling and highly strategic Canadian Grand Prix with a Bridgestone super soft-medium-medium tyre strategy in Montreal.
Hamilton led team-mate Jenson Button across the line in a consecutive one-two. Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro driver Fernando Alonso finished third.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for their win. We saw a fantastic race where tyre strategy was central to the excitement. Bridgestone Canada and Bridgestone USA used this race as a great promotional and marketing platform. They had several well received PR initiatives and also invited many important guests for the weekend itself. Montreal saw a sell-out crowd illustrating how popular F1 can be in North America. I am very pleased that Formula 1 has returned to this wonderful location especially when we get a race as exciting as today’s.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Tyre strategy and circuit evolution were vital factors in today’s race. The circuit was at its hottest of the weekend, meaning tyre performance was better than earlier in the weekend. The track improved after around ten laps, when rubber was laid on the surface, assisted by the hotter temperatures. We
saw the race winner complete 44 laps on the medium compound, illustrating the extent of this circuit improvement. At the start the degradation was high, even with the medium compound, which is why we saw such early pit stops. There were an interesting mix of pit stop strategies and tyre compound orders. A one stop strategy was not possible today and we saw a variety of two and three or more stops. The track surface and tyre performance evolution made the choices on the pitwall very difficult to make.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.8 – Canada Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Canadian Grand Prix, the super soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won a thrilling and dramatic Turkish Grand Prix where Bridgestone’s Potenza tyres took on the challenge of Turn Eight and enabled a wheel to wheel dice for the entirety of the 58 lap race in searing hot temperatures at Istanbul.
Hamilton led team-mate Jenson Button across the line with pole-sitter and long time race leader Mark Webber finishing third after an additional pit stop following contact with his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“This was a very exciting race so congratulations to Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Red Bull for such good performance. The Istanbul Park circuit enables fantastic racing, with difficult corners and interesting gradient. We have been able to prove the strong performance of our tyres in front of a world audience and I think anyone who watched the race will agree about the excitement we saw. Many Bridgestone guests from Turkey and even from South Africa were part of this tremendous spectacle and we are very happy for Bridgestone customers and dealers to have enjoyed this.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today we saw a real Turkish delight in Istanbul. The pace at the front was exceptionally close on both compounds of Bridgestone Potenza and this provided exciting racing. Our tyres performed well on one of the toughest corners in motorsport, despite the forces they are put under by this season’s ever improving aerodynamics and heavier cars. Our primary concern is always safety and we are proud to have provided safe tyres for this race. We also supply tyres which allow good usage by many competitors. The race’s fastest lap set by Petrov’s Renault on the soft compound on the penultimate lap, and the Red Bulls and McLarens were so very close all race. This will be one of Bridgestone’s many Grands Prix which I will remember for a long time.”
Stats of the Day

Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies
Rd.7 – Turkish Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Turkish Grand Prix, the soft (option) compound Bridgestone Potenza tyres were marked with green bands on the sidewalls. The wet weather tyres were also marked with a green line in a central groove.

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