Archiv der Kategorie Formel 1
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Belgian Grand Prix Report
29.8.2010 von Wolfgang.
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
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Hungary Grand Prix Report
1.8.2010 von Wolfgang.
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
Bridgestone Motorsport’s German Grand Prix Report
26.7.2010 von Wolfgang.
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
Bridgestone Motorsport’s European Grand Prix Report
27.6.2010 von Wolfgang.
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
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Canadian Grand Prix Report
13.6.2010 von Wolfgang.
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
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Turkish Grand Prix Report
30.5.2010 von Wolfgang.
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.
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Monaco Grand Prix Report
16.5.2010 von Wolfgang.
Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) has proved peerless with a superb performance to win the Monaco Grand Prix with a super soft – medium Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Webber finished just ahead of team-mate Sebastian Vettel after the end of the fourth safety car period. Renault F1 Team driver Robert Kubica finished in third. The top three drivers were all on the same tyre strategy.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Once more this wonderful, historic location of Monaco has provided Formula One with an excellent race and we are proud of the performance of our tyres which added to the spectacle today. Many spectators here and television viewers around the world were rewarded with a fantastic sporting event. We enjoy a good relationship with the people of Monaco and our signage has always been very prominent here. It shows the brand name of Bridgestone strongly on televisions and newspapers everywhere. Congratulations to Mark Webber and Red Bull for their consecutive win, and also to Renault who powered all three podium finishers.”
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today I am proud to say that both compounds of Bridgestone Potenzas performed very well and a variety of strategies were possible. The medium compound was so strong. It provided good lap times right up to the end of the race, even when it had been used for 77 laps as in the case of Fernando Alonso, who achieved a good result after starting from the pit lane. The super soft compound also showed praiseworthy performance, even with the heavy fuel loads at the start of the race. We could see from the pace of Nico Rosberg before his pit stop that this tyre could have been used for longer stints than we generally saw. We always expect transverse graining on the rear tyres here, due to the traction demands of the circuit layout, but we were surprised at how well our tyres resisted this. The drivers should have got good satisfaction from our tyres today, and I am happy with this.”
Stats of the Day
Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies Rd.6 – Monaco Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Monaco 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
Monaco Grand Prix 2010 Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update
15.5.2010 von Wolfgang.
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update
Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) has used Bridgestone’s super soft compound tyre to blast to his third pole position of 2010 with a new pole position record amidst the glamour of the tight and twisty streets of Monte Carlo for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Webber set a time of 1min 13.826secs and will be joined on the front row tomorrow by Renault F1 Team driver Robert Kubica, who was also fastest in the morning practice session, using the super soft compound for a 1min 14.806secs lap.
Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today was all about learning the track condition after a day of no Formula One Bridgestone rubber being laid on the surface yesterday. In the morning, track temperature was quite cool, so it took a little longer for both compounds to warm up to their ideal operating temperature. In qualifying, finding a clear track was very difficult. In practice and qualifying, once drivers got their tyres up to temperature they were rewarded with good performance from both compounds. Mark Webber was very fast, setting a new pole position record. Qualifying was so exciting today, particularly the last two minutes, and we are proud to support this excitement with our Bridgestone Potenza tyres.”
What are the tyre strategy considerations for tomorrow’s race?
“The top ten drivers will all start the race on the super soft Bridgestones, so it will be interesting to see when the first pit stops will be made. Track position before and after the pit stops will be very important as it is so difficult to overtake. The front runners will not want to be held up by their rivals or back markers so could pit to avoid this. They also will want to exit the pits in clear space too. The track temperature will be a strong factor too as it has generally been cooler than expected here. Maintaining the condition of the super soft tyres at the start of the race, as always, will be a crucial point, and the track condition improvement is likely to be very noticeable during the course of the race. It will also be interesting watching the tyre strategy and progress of Fernando Alonso, as he seems to have a fast car, but will not start from where we would usually expect him to do so, due to missing qualifying.”
Stats of the Day
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Spanish Grand Prix Report
9.5.2010 von Wolfgang.
Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) has scored his first win of the season after finishing first in the Spanish Grand Prix by 24 seconds from home hero, Fernando Alonso (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro).
Webber led from start to finish using a soft-hard Bridgestone tyre strategy, the same as Alonso. Vettel made two pit stops, using a soft-hard-soft to finish third. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set the race’s fastest lap, a 1min 24.357secs, using the hard tyre on lap 59.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Mark Webber for his first win of the year to open the European season in front of a superb crowd here in Spain. For Fernando Alonso this was also a great day, to be on the podium in his first Spanish Grand Prix driving for Ferrari. From Bridgestone’s perspective this has been a very strong weekend. We hosted guests from the USA and Brazil as well as many from our European markets which has illustrated the importance of Formula One as a business tool. Our sales companies continue to support our Formula One activities, showing the significance of this to our business. We are proud to have the support of all of the teams in this fantastic sport and now look forward to heading straight to Monaco for what is likely to be another fabulous race meeting.”
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today was an interesting race where pit stop timing was crucial. This was illustrated by both Lewis Hamilton and Michael Schumacher gaining positions through their choices. Mark Webber’s performance was exceptional and Red Bull had a very good set-up with both compounds of tyre here. The hard and the soft compounds worked well today and the track condition continued to improve as there was no rain last night, unlike on Friday night. The hard compound was very consistent once it was warmed up and was used for the race’s fastest lap, on low fuel loads near the end of the race. The soft compound gave a good lap time straight away and was capable of longer first stints than we generally saw today. We are working closely with McLaren to understand what happened to Lewis Hamilton, but initial impressions are that this was not caused by a tyre issue.”
Stats of the Day
Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies Rd.5 – Spanish Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Spanish 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
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Chinese Grand Prix Report
18.4.2010 von Wolfgang.
Reigning Formula One world champion Jenson Button (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) used Bridgestone’s soft compound and intermediate tyres to win a thrilling Chinese Grand Prix in mixed weather conditions at Shanghai International Circuit.
Button led his team-mate Lewis Hamilton across the line by 1.5 seconds. He started on the soft dry compound, before using two sets of intermediates to take him to the chequered flag. Hamilton made four stops, using a soft-intermediate-hard-intermediate-intermediate tyre strategy. Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team driver Nico Rosberg finished third.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Congratulations to Jenson Button for his second win this season and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for their 1-2. This race was very well supported by Bridgestone China who had many guests present. We were all rewarded with a fantastic battle on track which was enjoyed by all of our guests. Today highlighted the qualities of our dry and intermediate tyres. We are pleased to support such an exciting race.”
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“Today was a fascinating and thrilling race. Fascinating, because conditions were right on the crossover between the dry and intermediate tyre for so many laps, and thrilling for the action this caused on track. Jenson Button drove very intelligently to take his second win of the season by remaining on the soft tyre when many changed to intermediates, and making good use of his track position from there. There were many different approaches today. The soft compound worked very well in the damp conditions and we are happy with the performance of the intermediate. Both tyres required careful management and Formula One was gifted with a superb spectacle in Shanghai. Now the next challenge for many of our staff is finding a way back to Europe.”
Stats of the Day
Tyres used: Medium (prime) / Super soft (option)
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Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies Rd.4 – China Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Chinese 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.
* Teams may not necessarily change tyres at pitstops
** Includes drive-through/stop-go penalties
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Malaysia Grand Prix Report
4.4.2010 von Wolfgang.
Sebastian Vettel led his Red Bull Racing team-mate Mark Webber across the line to win a scintillating Malaysian Grand Prix with a soft – hard Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy at a searing hot Sepang.
The rain which visited the circuit for every afternoon in the build-up to the race remained absent, meaning it was tyre strategies using Bridgestone’s two dry tyres which defined performance, with a good mix of timing and order of use of the hard and soft compounds.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“Today we saw a very exiting race and I am proud of the part that Bridgestone played in this with a good allocation of tyres, as confirmed by the race winner, Sebastian Vettel. Congratulations to Red Bull for their one-two today, and to Mercedes for Nico Rosberg’s third place. It is always a pleasure to visit Malaysia and we have many supporters here. Bridgestone Malaysia celebrated its tenth anniversary around the Grand Prix weekend and they raised over 105,000 Ringgets for their nominated charity - the Global Environment Centre.”
Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“This was a good and interesting race based around tyre strategies. The hard and soft Bridgestone compounds performed very well, but with distinct characteristics. Those who started with the soft tyre had to stop sooner than those who started with the hard, as the soft had a shorter wear life. The hard allowed drivers to continue pushing, as shown by Mark Webber setting the race’s fastest lap on lap 53 with this tyre. The soft required a more forgiving style to maintain its performance. Drivers were able to use fresh tyres sets in the race, as they did not use these tyres in the wet qualifying yesterday. This meant we saw many fastest race laps as the race progressed, from drivers taking to the track on fresh rubber. Our compounds were able to support a variety of strategies and it was good to see the racing on track between many drivers at different times through the race. Even though the top three drivers used the same strategy, there were strong moves through the field using a hard-soft strategy. So many people predicted rain for this race, but today we did not need wet weather to provide excitement on track.”
Stats of the Day
Bridgestone Potenza Driver Tyre Strategies Rd.3 – Malaysia Grand Prix
In 2010, the tyre regulations stipulate that the two dry tyre specifications must be visibly distinguishable from each other. At the Malaysia 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. Team Race Driver Result Tyre Choice by Stint*:
* Teams may not necessarily change tyres at pitstops
** Includes drive-through/stop-go penalties
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update
3.4.2010 von Wolfgang.
Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) used Bridgestone’s Intermediate tyre to blast to pole position by a massive 1.3 seconds at a treacherous and wet Sepang circuit for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Webber set a time of 1min 49.327secs for his second-ever pole and first of 2010. He will start tomorrow’s race alongside Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team driver Nico Rosberg, who used Bridgestone’s Wet tyre to go second fastest. Webber was also fastest in the earlier practice session, using the soft compound for a 1min 33.542secs in dry conditions.
Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“The weather and timing of when to go out on track were both very important today in qualifying, and this is best illustrated by the grid we will see for tomorrow’s race. The weather was very variable and it was difficult to make the correct decision for when to go out on track and which tyre to use. Mark Webber made a very good call for his pole position. Both the Intermediate and wet tyre worked well in the conditions today and the cross-over between the two was around where we expected. If we have weather like this tomorrow, being on the correct tyre for the conditions will make all the difference.”
What are the tyre strategy considerations for tomorrow’s race?
“As qualifying was held in wet conditions all drivers are free to choose which tyre they will use to start the race. We have gained good data of both dry tyres and the soft is quicker and will work best when the cars are lighter. This means we would expect many to start on the hard tyre if the race starts in dry conditions. If it is wet at the start, then it is very difficult to say, as it depends how wet the track becomes, and if there is any standing water. No matter what the conditions I think we will have a very exciting race with the grid line-up on this challenging Sepang circuit.”
Stats of the Day
Compounds used: Hard / Soft / Intermediate / Wet
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Australian Grand Prix Report
28.3.2010 von Wolfgang.
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Jenson Button scored a fine victory in the Australian Grand Prix with a superb illustration of his tyre management skills by using one set of Bridgestone’s soft compound tyre for all but the first six laps of the 58 lap race. Button started, like the rest of the field, on Bridgestone’s Intermediate tyre after rain fell on Albert Park. The reigning champion was first to pit for a set of the soft dry compound Bridgestone Potenzas, and then drove all the way to the chequered flag on these tyres to score his first race victory of 2010. Renault F1 team driver Robert Kubica used the same strategy to gain his first podium for his new team whilst Felipe Massa took third place for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, also on the same strategy. Pole-man Sebastian Vettel was unfortunate to exit the race from the lead in his Red Bull, whilst his team-mate Mark Webber set the race’s fastest lap on lap 47 using the soft compound. Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says “What an entertaining race and superb showcase for our Bridgestone tyre technology. Congratulations to Jenson Button for his first win for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, and well done to Robert Kubica for his strong second place for the Renault F1 Team. Albert Park provided an excellent race environment and we are happy to have seen exciting racing for the fans here and around the world.” Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says “This was a great day for tyre performance, strategy and racing as we saw interesting action on track and a good illustration of the benefits of tyre management. The soft tyre was the preferred race tyre once the track dried, and this is a reflection of the track and weather conditions suiting the lower temperature working range tyre. Jenson Button did a superb job to look after his soft tyres for 52 laps for an impressive victory. Robert Kubica also completed a long stint showing good tyre management for second place. There was an interesting battle between the one stop strategies of the Ferraris and the two stop strategy of Lewis Hamilton. We are happy with the performance of our intermediate tyres which were used to start the race, with these heavy cars, and then performed well as the track dried. Careful tyre management meant the soft could last for so long in today’s conditions and this provided a showcase of driver tyre management skills. The degradation of the soft was less than we would have seen on a fully dry track, and the lap times were quite slow because of this. The hard compound, as used by Rubens Barrichello, also delivered a good performance so we are happy.”
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Bridgestone Motorsport’s Bahrain Grand Prix Report
14.3.2010 von Wolfgang.
Fernando Alonso (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) won the opening round of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship season in emphatic fashion after using a super soft - medium Bridgestone Potenza tyre strategy at the new longer configuration Sakhir circuit for the Bahrain Grand Prix. Alonso led team-mate Felipe Massa across the line for a Ferrari 1-2, with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton taking third. The top three drivers were all on the same tyre strategy. Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says “What a great way to start Bridgestone’s fourteenth season of Formula One racing, with great battles right to the chequered flag at the new layout of Sakhir circuit in Bahrain. Congratulations to Fernando Alonso for his win and Ferrari for their 1-2 today. Well done also to Lotus for running so well in their first race. The new regulations have given all teams a good challenge and provided all of the viewers around the world a very exciting first race of the season.” Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says “Today we were very happy with tyre performance. This was the first race under these new regulations so no-one knew exactly what to expect. Sebastian Vettel did a great job to manage his super softs at the beginning of the race, making the same set he used for qualifying last the longest of all the front runners. Fernando Alonso drove a very intelligent race for his win, and he was able to set the fastest lap near the end, showing he had managed his tyres very well. It was great to see Felipe Massa back on the podium. Tyre management, as expected, was very important in this first race with no refuelling. The cars and drivers which were more forgiving to their tyres were rewarded with more durable performance. This was only the first of 19 races this season. I think we all have a lot to learn about this season’s best tyre strategies and it will be fascinating unlocking the secrets for the best performance in the races ahead.”
www.bridgestonemotorsport.com
Tests colectivos Formula 1 en el Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana
1.2.2010 von Wolfgang.
El Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo ha acogido este domingo la presentación de las escuderías Sauber F1, con Pedro Martínez de la Rosa como piloto oficial, y Renault F1, en la que la escudería francesa ha desvelado su R30 y ha anunciado que el ruso Vitaly Petrov será su segundo piloto oficial junto al polaco Robert Kubica.
Los entrenamientos colectivos de invierno que comienzan este lunes suponen el inicio de la temporada 2010. Siete escuderías, Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes GP, Sauber, Renault, Toro Rosso y Williams, participan en estos tests.
www.circuitvalencia.com
