Bridgestone ties up tyre contracts

Bridgestone has finalised contracts with the six Formula 1 teams who used Michelin rubber last season.

The Japanese manufacturer will be F1’s sole tyre supplier in 2007 following Michelin’s withdrawal from the sport.

Its six new customers – Renault, McLaren, Honda, BMW Sauber, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso – have been eager to tie up the contracts as they would otherwise be short of tyres when winter testing begins.

Now all 11 teams should be able to run on Bridgestones at the next test session in Barcelona, scheduled for 28-30 November.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, director of Bridgestone Motorsport, said: “We are extremely pleased that we have now reached agreements with the six remaining teams for the supply of Bridgestone Potenza tyres in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship.

“We are very much looking forward to testing and racing with them all and developing good technical, personal and commercial relationships.

“This year has been an extremely positive year for Formula 1 and we look forward to working with the teams and the FIA to ensure F1 has an exciting future.

“Our role will be to provide safe, high performance tyres of the highest quality and to ensure fairness of service to all the teams.

“We are therefore also particularly pleased that all 11 Formula 1 teams have recently cooperated with each other to agree a balanced programme of testing for 2007 in the interests of fairness and cost efficiency.”

Bridgestone is fine, not as good as Michellin but still good. I wonder why Michellin didn't fight for the exclusive contract especially when they are better than Brigestone.aloushi87

[QUOTE="aloushi87"]Bridgestone is fine, not as good as Michellin but still good. I wonder why Michellin didn't fight for the exclusive contract especially when they are better than Brigestone.DeathStar17

Ok first let me say i love F1 no matter what twunt is running it, but...

i would rather see 22 different manufacturers instead of 1.....bridgestone said they are gonna make ultra hard tyre that will slow down cars by 2 seconds a lap. This is bad cause:

1) F1 is ment to be the pinacle of motorsport, but with laptimes getting slower every year and V8's amongst other things, in about 10 years it wont be.

2) harder tyre means less grip, and teams will need to depend more on mechanical grip from there aero packages instead of tyres....ring a bell? 2005 all over again. Drivers wont be able to follow each other through quick corners cause of the "dirty air", and less grip from their tyres. The effect wont be as drastic as 05 cause of tyre changes, but it will still be there.

You'd think the FIA would learn by now....no engine development, standard ECU's, 1 tyre manufacturer, driver aids etc, wheres the fun in that?! might as well watch a scalectrix race lol

:D

bridgestone said they are gonna make ultra hard tyre that will slow down cars by 2 seconds a lap.

BlaZe_irl

[QUOTE="BlaZe_irl"]

bridgestone said they are gonna make ultra hard tyre that will slow down cars by 2 seconds a lap.

aloushi87