Bridgestone

Formula 1 Team reports for the 2009 F1 season includes race previews, reports and reviews
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Bridgestone

Post by Ed » Sat Mar 21, 2009 9:31 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport Australian Grand Prix Preview

Bridgestone starts a new era in Formula One as slick tyres return to Grand Prix racing for the first time in over eleven years when round one of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship gets under way with the ING Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park on March 29.

Bridgestone Potenza slick tyres are just one of the new aspects on the radically overhauled Formula One cars which will line up for the first race of the season, as the latest aerodynamic regulations - designed to reduce downforce - mean that the cars look very different from their counterparts of twelve months ago.

Slick tyres require a new method of marking to designate between compounds, as the previous method of painting one of the grooves with a white line no longer applies. Bridgestone has used the opportunity of launching a new system to show its continued support for the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign, by marking the softer of the two dry compounds available for each race with green sidewall markings. The now renamed ‘wet’ tyre (formerly ‘extreme’ tyre) will also feature a green line in a central groove.
As before, two compounds of tyre will be available for every grand prix, with the requirement that both are used in the race. In a change from the previous allocation philosophy employed for the past two seasons, Bridgestone will now bring non-consecutive allocations to most events. For this grand prix the medium and super soft tyres have been selected from the range of hard, medium, soft and super soft.

Albert Park is traditionally a challenging venue. In addition to the notoriously variable Melbourne weather, the track surface changes significantly over the course of the race meeting as it is only used for motorsport once a year. The track features 16 turns over its 5.30 km and is a compromise circuit in its layout with low downforce desired down the straights, but higher downforce requirements through the turns. High lateral forces mean high levels of energy and heat are dispersed through the tyres.

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
What are the significant changes for 2009 from Bridgestone’s perspective?
“The move to slick tyres is significant, although Bridgestone have a lot of experience with these tyres from many different race series so we are confident that we can produce good racing slicks. We are making these tyres to the same sizes as we had with grooved tyres, but this means there is a new front/rear grip balance. The teams will therefore have to work hard to get a good set-up, particularly with the varying surface of Albert Park, and we will be working closely with everyone to achieve this.”

How big a challenge will it be for competitors having a non-consecutive allocation?
“I think it has the potential to be a big challenge. We received many requests last season to make the difference between the two compounds greater, so we have attempted to do this by not only having a different compound stiffness, but also varying the temperature working range of the tyres. We have sought to allocate one tyre which has a lower working range and one which has a higher working range.
This means that, even more than before, competitors will have to think long and hard about how they use their tyres, and there will be good rewards for those who make the best choices.”

Stats & Facts

Number & Spec of tyres brought to Australia 1800 (intermediate & wet, medium & super soft dry)
Pole position time 2008: 1min 26.714secs (Hamilton)
Fastest race lap 2008: 1min 27.418secs (Kovalainen)
Top three 2008: Hamilton, Heidfeld, Rosberg

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Post by Ed » Sat Mar 28, 2009 1:06 am

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Friday Update

For the first time in twelve seasons, Bridgestone Potenza slick racing tyres graced a Formula One car at a grand prix as the 2009 season got underway in Melbourne, Australia for the ING Australian Grand Prix. AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg was the fastest man in both of the two Friday
practice sessions at Albert Park, for round one of the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Rosberg set a 1min 26.687secs using the medium compound in the first session with team-mate Kazuki Nakajima the second fastest, also using the medium, and Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) the third quickest, using the super soft.
In the later session Rosberg set a 1min 26.053secs, with Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP) second quickest and Jarno Trulli (Panasonic Toyota Racing) third quickest, all top three drivers using the super soft. Outlining the close competition in prospect for the season ahead, just over two seconds covered the entire field in this second practice session.

Both sessions were held later in the day than previously at this event, due to the race start time change to 17:00 hrs on Sunday. The first session started at 12:30 hrs, and the second started at 16:30 hrs. The notoriously fickle Melbourne weather provided pleasant temperatures, but some way
off the heat of last year. Track conditions were as expected early in the race meeting, with the lower levels of grip provided by the surface due to it only being used once a year for motor racing activity.

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
“Today was very exciting as, for the first time, we saw all the 2009 specification cars on track at a grand prix weekend, and it was also a very nostalgic day as we saw slick tyres in Melbourne. The first day of the season is always difficult for drivers, and the Albert Park circuit was quite dirty and slippery, as we expected. The super soft tyre will provide the big challenge for the weekend, and it performed largely as wanted, with an absolute lap time around a second faster than the medium, and quite rapid progression towards increasing lap times as it deteriorates. The dirty track did mean more graining than we predicted, but this will improve with a cleaner track and more rubber laid. The medium compound was very robust and will certainly be the main race tyre. As far as track conditions are concerned we expect more grip tomorrow and on Sunday.”

Stats of the Day
Total amount of laps completed by all drivers: 1041 laps
Average number of laps per driver: 52 laps
Most laps by a driver: 83 – Glock (Toyota)
Compounds used: Medium / Super Soft
Fastest super soft compound time 1min 26.053secs (Rosberg – FP2)
Fastest medium compound time 1min 26.142secs (Rosberg – FP2)

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Post by mlittle » Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:12 am

~~~Bridgestone Motorsport Australian GP Race Report

Bridgestone Potenza slick tyres made their grand prix return in the Australian Grand Prix where Jenson Button made the perfect debut for the Brawn GP team by using a medium-medium-super soft tyre strategy to win the first race of the season run to Formula One's exciting new regulations.

Button took his race win leading team-mate Rubens Barrichello and Panasonic Toyota Racing driver Jarno Trulli across the line, however Trulli was later penalised for passing whilst behind the safety car, and fourth across the line Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) was awarded third. Barrichello used the same strategy as Button, whilst Hamilton started on the super soft tyre and twice changed to the medium. The latest specification cars and Bridgestone's slick tyres meant an exciting and challenging 58 laps in Albert Park with the different performance of Bridgestone's two compounds one of the talking points of the event.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development

How was the first race of 2009 from Bridgestone's perspective?

"Firstly, congratulations to Jenson Button and the Brawn GP team for winning and Rubens Barrichello for coming second in an exceptionally exciting race. Congratulations too, to the FIA for the new regulations and the teams for developing such exciting and quick new cars. This was a significant race as it shows that the changes for 2009 have made a big difference for Formula One. Bridgestone's slick tyres and our new allocation philosophy gave competitors a lot to think about and some managed better than others. Tyre strategy was crucial to making up places, and the key to getting a good result here was having a good setup with the super soft tyre as the performance of this tyre dropped off very quickly. The medium tyre was very robust and allowed good strategy and setup options for teams."

What did you think of the different tyre strategies used?

"This was the first race for teams with our new tyres so there were many different approaches over the weekend. From Saturday's data we knew that the super soft tyre was around 1.2 seconds faster than the medium over its first flying lap so those who started on the super soft had a good advantage at the beginning. However, those who used the super soft for their last stint benefitted from the improved track surface due to rubber laid during the race. We predicted that the super soft tyre would be around 5-6 seconds slower if it was used from the start of the race until half distance, which is why we did not see many long stints on this tyre."
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Post by mlittle » Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:35 am

Bridgestone Motorsports Malaysian Grand Prix Preview


~~~~Straight after the debut of Bridgestone's 2009 slick Formula One tyres at the exciting Australian Grand Prix, Bridgestone heads to Malaysia for the second race in as many weeks as it faces the challenges of the Sepang circuit near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for round two of the FIA Formula One World Championship, the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix.

The Malaysian event is the second of what will be four races in five weeks, giving no respite for Bridgestone personnel. The Sepang circuit is a severe circuit on tyres with two long straights leading into tight, slow speed corners which require heavy braking, putting high energy levels through the tyres.

In addition to these two heavy braking zones, a wide range of corner types mean that Bridgestone's tyres are kept under heavy loads over the course of a lap. The circuit layout is not the only aspect that is tough, as the hot weather experienced here provides a harsh test too. Indeed, even when it rains in Malaysia, as it does frequently, temperatures remain high.

Bridgestone will bring its hard and soft compound Potenza tyres. Previously in Malaysia, hard and medium compound dry grooved tyres have been used, so this year's allocation has a softer tyre than has been seen here before. Also of note, this will be the first time that teams get to use the 2009 hard compound, as the current specification hard tyre is an evolution from that used by teams in pre-season testing.

-----Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:

What are the challenges of Sepang?

"Sepang is quite severe on tyres as it has many different corner types and two heavy braking
zones after long straights. This means the energy going through the tyres over a lap is considerable. Drivers will have to be careful not to lock their brakes, especially with the new generation cars which seem less stable due to the lower levels of downforce. High temperatures are usually a factor in Malaysia, and the later start time for the race is when we often see rain, so there are many challenges we could face."

What are the implications of the tyre allocation?

"The hard compound we have in Malaysia is a development from the hard compound that teams used in pre-season testing. It has been modified to be softer than before, in response to feedback from the teams, however it is not a very big change and I am confident that it will be suitable. Management of the soft compound is likely to be the biggest challenge of the weekend, as we have not previously brought a soft tyre to Sepang."

Stats & Facts
Number & Spec of tyres brought to Malaysia 1800 (intermediate/wets, hard & soft dry)
Pole position time 2008: 1min 35.748secs (Massa)
Fastest race lap 2008: 1min 35.366secs (Heidfeld)
Top three 2008: Raikkonen, Kubica, Kovalainen
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Post by Ed » Fri Apr 03, 2009 10:03 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Friday Update

Bridgestone’s soft tyre proved to be the fastest rubber on track at Sepang for the first day of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Kimi Raikkonen’s Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro set the day’s fastest lap time in the afternoon practice session held in hot but cloudy weather conditions. AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg used the hard compound to go fastest in the morning session.
The hot and humid 5.54km Sepang circuit provided a challenge for competitors still mastering the 2009 specification cars and Bridgestone’s latest slick tyres and new tyre allocations. Today was the first time that Bridgestone’s hard compound tyre has been used by teams, and the first time a Bridgestone soft compound has been used at Malaysia.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today’s running was interesting as it was the first time that the teams have used the hard compound. This tyre worked very much as expected, in line with our predictions, so we are very pleased. As designed, this tyre takes longer to warm-up than the soft, but it looks to deliver good constant performance once in its temperature working range.

How durable do you expect the soft compound to be in Malaysia?
“Today we saw most running with the soft compound take place in the afternoon session, when track temperatures were dropping. We did not see the same level of drop off as we did in Australia with the super soft compound. Also, we did not see the same amount of graining as we did last weekend, which should make life easier in this respect for the drivers here. Sunday’s race does not start until 17:00 hrs, so we do not expect extreme heat like we have seen in Malaysia in the past, which should make life less difficult for the tyres.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Apr 05, 2009 12:21 am

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update

Bridgestone’s soft tyre allowed Jenson Button to set an exciting pole lap of 1min 35.181secs at Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix.
Button took pole by just over nine hundredths from Panasonic Toyota Racing’s Jarno Trulli. Track conditions were improved from Friday, with more rubber down, but teams and drivers still struggled to find the best compromises with the exciting new cars and Bridgestone’s slick tyres.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today showed us that the cars are very close to each other on lap times. For example, in FP3 the top thirteen cars were covered by a second. In terms of tyre performance, the soft tyre has an advantage of about around 1.0–1.3 seconds over its best lap. The soft is able to deliver its best lap time generally on its first flying lap and the performance drop-off does not appear to be as extreme as we saw with the super soft tyre in Australia. The hard gives its best lap time after around 3-4 laps and we have seen very durable performance from it, so it should be the better race tyre.”

How have track conditions evolved since Friday, and what are your predictions for the race?
“Sepang is an interesting circuit as the track surface improves a lot over the course of the race weekend. This is because the high temperatures mean that the rubber laid melts into the track surface allowing very good surface from a grip point of view. Race strategy should be interesting here, as the difference between the tyres in terms of performance drop-off is not as great as in Australia, so there could be more strategy options.”

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Post by Ed » Sun Apr 05, 2009 11:54 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Malaysian Grand Prix Report

Bridgestone Potenza intermediate and wet tyres made their first race appearance of 2009 as severe rain fell on the Sepang circuit after a dry race start with everyone on the soft compound dry tyre, causing the Malaysian Grand Prix to be stopped after 32 laps, with Jenson Button awarded the win.

Black clouds provided a backdrop to the start of the race, but it was Bridgestone’s black rubber which provided the crucial performance variable. Once the rain started, the water levels on track changed lap by lap making it very difficult for competitors to choose whether the dry slick, intermediate or wet tyre should be used, and the best tyre for the conditions changed frequently.
As the race was stopped before three-quarter distance, only half points will be awarded. Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) took second and Timo Glock(Panasonic Toyota Racing) finished third.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development

How was the race from Bridgestone’s perspective?
“This was a very interesting race, even before the rain started. Everyone started on the soft tyre. The soft gave good consistent performance in the conditions we saw today and there would have been good strategy options had the weather remained dry Starting on the soft was a sensible move as the soft has a lower working range than the hard, so when the rain started it delivered better performance than the hard would have done, before the wet tyres became necessary.”

How important was tyre strategy?
“Choosing the correct tyre at the correct time is absolutely crucial and we saw many illustrations of how beneficial it is to make the right choice. Once the rain started there was a window where the intermediate tyre was the best one to use, as shown by Timo Glock who was up to ten seconds faster than the other cars. Some drivers used the wet tyre too early, and suffered in the too dry conditions.
However, once the rain became harder the wet tyre was the correct tyre for conditions. Unfortunately, the rain then became so hard that it was too wet for Formula One cars.”

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Post by Ed » Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:06 pm

Chinese Grand Prix Preview

The highly technical and challenging Shanghai International Circuit hosts the third round of the FIA Formula One World Championship where Bridgestone tyres will once more be seen in action after just a week’s break from the last race.
Changes to the calendar mean that the Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix takes place just six months after the last event here. That race was won by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton using a hard-hard-medium tyre strategy.
This season the move to slick tyres means new tyre allocations for races, so China will see the medium and super soft tyres allocated – the same tyres as used in the Australian Grand Prix - giving the teams and drivers a tough challenge for tyre management.

Shanghai has two long straights and sixteen corners of varying types over its 5.45 km. Heavy braking, extreme lateral loads and high demands on traction are just some of the factors that Bridgestone’s medium and super soft compound Potenza tyres will encounter.
Turns 2 and 7 are likely to induce tyre graining, whilst the high lateral G force generated through the sequence of turns 7-8 will place strong demands on the tyres’ construction and heat durability. A two stop pit strategy has been the favoured option in the past, as running with a heavy car as required for a one-stop strategy is likely to be very detrimental to lap times and cause heavier wear to the tyres. There is an element of gradient changes over the course of a lap as well as an element of banking in turn 13.

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
What are the challenges of Shanghai?
“Shanghai International Circuit is severe on tyres. There are very high lateral forces and we expect to see graining on the front left tyres, especially caused by the increasing radius turn two and the banked turn thirteen. We could also see graining on the rear tyres here too. The circuit layout means that a medium downforce set-up will be used, as there are two long straights, but a large percentage of the track is also very twisty and technical. For the teams and drivers, finding the correct set-up to make the best use of their tyres will be a big challenge.”

We will see the super soft compound in use again, how difficult will tyre management be?
“In Australia there was a particular challenge of graining on the super soft tyre, however this graining varied across the teams between the front and the rear, which means that the correct compromise setup for these new cars is still being found. For this reason we would expect less graining in China as the teams now have better understanding of their cars than at the first race. Also, Shanghai is a permanent race track so the track surface should be better.”

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Post by Ed » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:18 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Friday Update

Bridgestone’s super soft tyre proved to be the fastest rubber on track at Shanghai for the first day of the Chinese Grand Prix. Jenson Button’s Brawn set the day’s fastest lap time in the afternoon practice session held in sunny weather conditions. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton used the hard compound to go fastest in the morning session. The 5.45 km Shanghai circuit provided a challenge for competitors still mastering the 2009 specification cars and Bridgestone’s latest slick tyres and new tyre allocations. Today was the first time that Bridgestone’s super soft compound tyre has been used at Shanghai. The track surface delivered a lot less grip than seen in 2008’s Friday practice session when there was already Bridgestone race rubber laid on the track as a GP2 Asia Series test took place in the week prior to the Grand Prix.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today the circuit surface delivered very little grip initially in the first practice, but this improved and the track was better in the afternoon. As we would expect on a Friday, we saw graining, but the amount of graining varied across the teams. Of particular note, the tyre appearance of the Brawn and Toyota cars was very beautiful and even, meaning they appear to be using their tyres well, but some other teams are still finding the best set-ups. In the second session we saw both tyres used and the performance of the super soft in terms of degradation was not as bad as in Australia.”

Is the Super Soft tyre correct for Shanghai and how are the tyre allocations decided for races?
“We decide the allocations for the races based on many factors including past experience, test information and feedback from the teams. All teams have a dedicated Bridgestone engineer who works with the drivers and team engineers so we have constant information regarding any tyre issues. The teams are made aware of our allocations for races many weeks in advance, so there is plenty of time for feedback. For 2009 we are making a bigger difference between the two compounds and this is in response to requests for this from the FIA and the teams. This gives more of a challenge for the races, and of course any change brings many opinions. Here we have the medium tyre, which should be a strong race tyre, and the super soft, which will require good tyre management in terms of car set-up and driving style. Of course, we saw different approaches to using the super soft tyre in Australia, with some approaches working much better than others, so it will be interesting to see competitors rise to the challenge here in Shanghai.”

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Post by Julian Mayo » Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:28 pm

Thanks Ed, it does seem to contradict some of the drivers' opinions regarding the super soft tyre................ :shock:
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Post by Ed » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:30 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Saturday Update

Bridgestone’s super soft tyre allowed driver Sebastian Vettel to set his second pole position, and Red Bull Racing’s first ever, with a lap of 1min 36.184secs at Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix. Vettel took pole by just under two tenths from ING Renault’s Fernando Alonso with Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing) in third, meaning the top three fastest cars were all Renault powered.
Track conditions were improved from Friday, with more rubber down. AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg used the super soft tyre to go fastest in the morning practice session with a time of 1min 36.133secs.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
What was significant about today’s running?
“Today was very significant for Red Bull Racing scoring their first pole position so congratulations to them and Sebastian Vettel. Today we have seen that both tyres give good performance here in Shanghai. The difference in best lap time between the two tyres is not so big, at around 0.5 seconds.
The super soft gives its best lap time on the first or second flying lap, whereas the medium takes longer to get into the best temperature operating range and delivers its best lap on its third or fourth flying lap. We are still seeing graining on the super soft tyre, however this is not matched by the same amount of tyre degradation that we saw in Australia so there should be more strategy options for tomorrow’s race.”

The weather has been quite variable in China, how could this affect the race?
“Of course, this race is taking place at a different time of year from last season so we expected the weather to be different. It is also the first race of the season at the Shanghai International Circuit, so the track conditions are changed from those we saw last year too. Since we have been here the weather has been both quite cool and also quite warm, so it will be interesting to see what happens on Sunday. If it is cooler, the quicker warm-up of the super soft tyre should be useful, however if it is very cool we could see more graining. If it is hotter then the medium tyre will warm-up quicker. Of course, we have seen rain at Shanghai in the past, and we all know that makes for very interesting racing. Tomorrow we will keenly watch both strategy and the skies.”

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Post by Julian Mayo » Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:43 am

"The difference between the tyres............not so big..............around .5 of a second..............".................. :shock:
Where does this guy live??????
Half a second PER LAP is HUGE in any motorsport............. :shock: :shock:
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Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:35 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport’s Chinese Grand Prix Report

Bridgestone’s wet tyres were the tyre of choice in trying conditions for the Chinese Grand Prix held at the Shanghai International Circuit where Sebastian Vettel took Red Bull Racing’s first and his second Formula One victory.
Vettel crossed the line 10.9 secs ahead of team-mate Mark Webber, who scored his best finish with second, meaning two Renault-powered cars on the podium. Drivers’ championship leader Jenson Button (Brawn GP) finished third. All drivers started behind the safety car and therefore on the wet tyres – as stipulated by the regulations – and persistent rain meant that almost all competitors stayed on wet tyres for the duration of the race.

Q&A with Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development
How was the race from Bridgestone’s perspective?
“Once more in 2009 we have seen an exciting race. Congratulations to Red Bull Racing for their first race win and Sebastian Vettel for his second win. I think our tyre allocation was interesting for this weekend and qualifying was exciting, whilst the race was another demonstration of our wet tyres working well in the correct conditions. Interestingly of the front-runners, we saw Rubens Barrichello opt to stay on his existing wet tyres in his final pit stop, rather than change to new ones. Also, we saw Nico Rosberg use the intermediate, but the track surface was never quite dry enough for these tyres.”

Another race where the wet tyres have been used, are you happy with their performance?
“The wet tyres have worked well here. Obviously, the 2009 specification cars have less downforce than before. In the dry, there is more mechanical grip to compensate for the lack of aerodynamic grip, whereas in the wet there is not that compensation. Despite this, our wet tyres worked very well in very difficult conditions. Of course, some parts of the track had very deep puddles, and we saw drivers struggle with aquaplaning, but overall we can be satisfied. Today I think we watched many demonstrations of excellent driving throughout the field.”

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Post by Ed » Wed Apr 22, 2009 7:55 pm

Bridgestone Motorsport Bahrain Grand Prix Preview

Bridgestone will participate in its fourth grand prix in five weeks when the medium and super soft compound Potenza slick tyres are used at this weekend’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, held on 24-26 April.
The allocation for Bahrain is the same as used in the Australian and Chinese races. This is the first time that a Bridgestone super soft compound has been used at the 5.41 km circuit which features a diverse mix of 15 turns.
Bahrain is one of the toughest circuits on brakes visited during the course of the season, and the weather conditions are usually hot and dry. The desert location of the track means that the track surface often has sand on it at the start of the race weekend, with track grip improving as the surface is cleaned by the cars running.
Traction is crucial for finding a good lap time in Bahrain, due to its layout of many tight corners leading to short straights. Tyre management skills of teams and drivers will be under scrutiny, as the high traction demands create additional heat in the tyres in what is already likely to be hot conditions.

Bridgestone’s tyres will also be seen in action over this weekend for the sixth and final round of the GP2 Asia Series.

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
What are the challenges of Bahrain?
“Bahrain is a technically interesting circuit. The layout means a lot of braking and a lot of accelerating out of low speed corners. Maximising traction out of the corners is the key to a good lap time, but if a car has less than ideal traction, additional unwanted heat can be created, and this will make matters more difficult for competitors. There is a lot of heavy braking here too, and it will be interesting to see how the different braking characteristics between the KERS and non-KERS cars affects lap times, and also the racing.”

How much of a challenge should the tyre allocation be in Bahrain?
“Tyre management and minimising unnecessary tyre heat in what could be very hot conditions are very important considerations here. We have the medium and super soft tyres and we expect the medium tyre to be very durable. The super soft should present more of a challenge in terms of durability than the medium, however the data from the Bahrain pre-season tests show that this tyre can be managed well on this track if the correct set-up is found.”

Stats & Facts
Number & Spec of tyres brought to Bahrain: 1800 (Medium & super soft dry, intermediate/wets)
Pole position time 2008: 1min 33.096secs (Kubica)
Fastest race lap 2008: 1min 33.193secs (Kovalainen)
Top three 2008: Massa, Raikkonen, Kubica

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Post by Julian Mayo » Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:24 pm

Supersofts will last 4-5 laps for most teams.........2-3 for the Redbulls :cry: .............6-8 for the Brawns....I can't remember the last time I saw an F1 car so kind to it's tyres as the Brawn, and that is down to the front aero.I believe Ross was peeing with glee at all the focus on the diffusers, and not the whole package, when it was pointed out to me by a very experienced F1 guy that the Brawns were on rails with turn in, hold the line, kiss the apex, and early power down off the corners in Melbourne. IMHO that is what hurt them last weekend, they simply couldn't get enough mechanical grip, they were floating, whereas the RedBulls eat tyres in the dry, and were punching down thru the water = grip..eg Turn 7 Webber, 5th gear at 150km per hour :shock: on Button.
The only guy who imho took painstaking note was Newy, and that is why the RedBulls have jumped BMW and Toyota.
8)
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