Bridgestone Potenzas to Compete Exclusively at Suzuka for First Time in F1

The Japanese Grand Prix this weekend will mark the first occasion on which only Bridgestone’s rubber will be used at Suzuka, the race having been held at Mount Fuji for the past two years. The supplier will bring an allocation of hard and soft tyres, which was previously used in Sepang, Barcelona and Silverstone, representing a return to the concept of leaving a stiffness gap between allocated tyres.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, director of Bridgestone Motorsport, said that the company is keen to make an impression over the weekend at its home race: “Bridgestone is a Japanese company so our home Grand Prix has special importance for us. It is also good to return to Suzuka as this venue has been the scene of so many great battles over the years. We will have many special guests and staff from our company attending this event so we are hopeful of an exciting race.”

Asked what challenges Suzuka holds, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development, Hirohide Hamashima said. “We last visited Suzuka in 2006 and a lot has changed in Formula One since then, so teams will have to work hard to understand the circuit with the latest specification cars and tyres. For the younger drivers this will be the first time they visit this circuit so they are set for a delight. The configuration is unique as it is a figure of eight and there are several high speed corners as well as a hairpin, so there is a lot to consider for car set-up and in the race.

“Interestingly, around half of the track has been resurfaced. The new surface on the east side is very smooth and gives good grip. The older surface on the west side gives less grip than the newer surface on the east side. We will not know exactly how this will affect performance until the cars are running, but it certainly will be a consideration. The circuit layout tests all four corners of the car so a good all-round set-up will need to be found. The best set-up will be the one which allows the best traction, grip and enable quick change of direction from the tyres.”