Bridgestone Motorsport Announces Tyre Specs for 5 More GPs

Having been praised in many quarters for its policy of providing a greater difference in tyre compounds, leading to an engrossing tactical battle as drivers found the best way to utilise wearing rubber, Bridgestone has announced the compound allocations of Potenza tyres for five more rounds of the 2010 Formula One World Championship will remain at least two steps apart. The German Grand Prix is the anomaly, as it will feature the hard and super soft compounds, meaning the allocated tyres will be three steps apart, perhaps making for a more intense technical challenge for drivers.

A further announcement about the compounds for the final five races of the season will be made later in the year. Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone head of Motorsport Tyre Development, says: “The major interest of this allocation announcement is that we are bringing the hard and super soft compounds to Germany. The characteristics of the Hockenheim circuit allow us to bring the compounds from the extremes of our softness range. This will give us very good data for evaluation and will be interesting for those who have called for a bigger difference between the allocated tyres.

“The Hungaroring requires a softer allocation as finding grip is always a target there. Spa and Monza are high speed tests for cars and tyres, needing a harder allocation because of the heat durability requirements. Singapore is a high-speed street course where the softer allocation is suited.”