Bridgestone Motorsport Announces F1 Tyre Specifications

Formula One tyre supplier Bridgestone has announced the compound allocations of its Potenza tyres for the first five rounds of the 2009 season. This year sees the return of slick tyres to Formula One after an eleven-season absence, and their comeback enables the implementation of softer rubber compounds – and this means more mechanical grip is available for competitors. This change, says Bridgestone, is significant for teams and drivers and is accompanied by considerable changes to the car aerodynamic packages, designed to reduce downforce and stimulate overtaking.

A change in tyre allocation rationale has also taken place, Bridgestone adds. During the previous two seasons the Japanese manufacturer brought two consecutive compounds from its range of four rubber compounds to each event. For 2009, non- consecutive allocations will occur at most races. As well as a difference in compound stiffness, the two compounds allocated to an event will exhibit a variation in temperature working range. The different requirements of slick tyres compared with grooved tyres mean that the compounds themselves are also new for this year, however they will retain the same names: hard, medium, soft and super soft.

No changes have been made to Bridgestone’s wet and extreme weather tyres, which will be brought to all events in case of adverse weather. A green sidewall band on the softer tyres will facilitate the distinguishing between the two compounds at an event. This marking allows the compounds to be visually distinguishable by fans at the circuit and those watching on television. The green colour has been chosen to show Bridgestone’s continued support of the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.

According to Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of Motorsport Tyre Development, “2009 looks like it should be a very exciting season with very big changes to the cars. From our perspective we have changed our allocation strategy so that we can bring non-consecutive allocations to races. The compounds will not only vary in terms of compound hardness, but also working range. We have tried to have one tyre which has a quick warm-up and delivers a fast lap time immediately, and the other tyre which has a higher working range, so will not deliver immediate fast times, but gives very consistent and durable performance when it is at its operating temperature. Of course, we are subject to many variables such as different cars and drivers, not to mention the weather, which was such a big factor in 2008. We hope that the change in allocations gives competitors a good challenge and the fans entertaining racing. We are also proud to support the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign through our tyre markings.”

The announced tyre compounds for the 2009 are as follows:

ING Australian Grand Prix: Super Soft, Medium
Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix: Soft, Hard
Chinese Grand Prix: Super Soft, Medium
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix: Super Soft, Medium
Gran Premio de España Telefónica: Soft, Hard