Michelin Has the Last Word in Brazil
After a distinctly variable season, Michelin has ended the Formula 1 year on a high note. The BMW William’s Juan Pablo Montoya said a fond farewell to the team by winning the Brazillian Grand Prix.
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Bridgestone Exhibits in Italy
Product NewsBridgestone has made a momentous move by becoming an exhibitor at the Ferrari Museum. The manufacturer’s tyres, which fit both Ferrari’s sports cars and Formula One tracing teams, are now be on display in the Italian city of Maranello.
The Potenza RE050 Scuderia tyre developed for the Enzo Ferrari will be exhibited at the museum along with one of the very tyres that Michael Schumacher used in the F1 Japan Grand Prix in 2003. The tyres will be on display until 24 August 2007 for some 200,000 people that visit the museum annually.
Schumacher and Bridgestone Take ‘Home’ Grand Prix
Product NewsAfter fears that a so-called super typhoon would halt the Japanese Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher has won his 13th race of the season. The fact that qualification was more than a little disrupted by an “undriveably” wet track only meant that more emphasis was put on tyres. After the first ever Sunday morning qualification, Michael Schumacher’s Bridgestone equipped Ferrari blew away the opposition.
Williams’ Ralph Schumacher took second place, with Britain’s Jenson Button taking the third podium spot. According to Button: “I went for the two stops because it worked pretty well for me in the last race.” Michelin drivers took the majority of the other point scoring positions.
When the reigning world champion was asked what it felt like to back in winning form, having set a new record for the number of wins in a season, the Ferrari driver commented: “Yeah. It is obviously nice, for other reasons, particularly that it is Bridgestone’s home Grand Prix and we wished to do well for them and we did. We did very superb in being basically fastest all weekend and finally get the win and it is the way to pay back something to our partners.”
Bridgestone’s F1 Fan Club
MotorsportBridgestone is expecting more than a thousand of its employees to turn out and cheer on the Bridgestone equipped cars of Ferrari, Sauber, Jordan and Minardi, when the race at Suzuka next weekend.
Bridgestone Motorsport director, Hiroshi Yasukawa said a home grand prix is a rare chance for Japan-based staff to catch a closer glimpse of Formula One. “We aim to give them a good show,” he told the Home of F1 website. “Suzuka is renowned for being tough on tyres,” said the team’s technical manager Hisao Suganuma, “[but] we know the circuit well.”
Barichello Takes First Chinese GP
Product NewsThe inaugural Chinese Grand Prix was certainly a successful one for race winner, Rubens Barichello. The Ferrari driver has now won two consecutive races for the first time in his career.
Barichello Wins Italian Grand Prix
Product NewsThe Ferrari of Rubens Barrichello drove to victory at Monza for the Brazilian’s first win of the season.
Michelin go to Monza with Victory in Mind
Product NewsFresh from its recent success in the Belgian Grand Prix Michelin is preparing for this weekend’s Italian GP. With Formula One’s summer testing ban finally at an end, the company has spent some crucial time evaluating its tyre compounds at the Monza circuit.
The tyre manufacturer is confident that it will give a good performance this weekend as it has scored six of its 74 F1 grand prix victories at Monza, courtesy of Jody Scheckter (Ferrari, 1979), Alain Prost (Renault, 1981), René Arnoux (Renault, 1982), Nelson Piquet (Brabham-BMW, 1983), Niki Lauda (McLaren-TAG Turbo, 1984) and Juan Pablo Montoya (BMW WilliamsF1 Team, 2001). And according to the company pre-race testing at Monza went very well with Antonio Pizzonia setting the week’s fastest lap in his Williams-BMW.
Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin motorsport director commented: “During the recent tests at Monza, there were two incidents involving tyres: two rear tyres were damaged – and the pressure loss was accurately identified and measured by the on-board telemetry. Missing valve caps were clearly to blame on both occasions.
“This is another factor to add to the numerous theories that have been put forward since the spate of spectacular tyre incidents during the most recent race in Spa – where the inside edges of certain kerbs were suspected of having caused a few problems. So far, our internal investigations have produced nothing that could provide a clear technical reason. That’s good news in a way, because we have not been able to identify any technical errors on our part, but at the same time it is frustrating because we have not been able to reach any definitive technical conclusions.”
Pascal Vasselon, Michelin F1 programme manager added: “As at most circuits, tyre manufacturers have to deliver a compromise when finalising tyre compounds for Monza. Despite the loads imposed by ultra-quick corners such as the Parabolica, tyre wear isn’t physically excessive. Combined with the sustained high speeds down the long straights, this lack of wear generates significant tyre temperatures. Consequently, we can’t afford to run compounds that are too soft. We will bring four different dry-weather options to Monza. Michelin has performed very well at Monza in recent seasons and our encouraging testing form indicates that our engineers have struck the right balance once again.”
Michelin Suggests Sharp Kerb Caused Blowout
Product NewsOnly a matter of days after Michelin said it will launch an enquiry into the events of the Belgian Grand Prix, the F1 tyre supplier has suggested a reason why its tyres appeared to fail.
Michael Schumacher Formula 1 Champion on BBS
Product NewsGerman wheel manufacturer BBS AG is pleased again with the success of Scuderia Ferrari and Michael Schumacher. After the constructor’s championship was secured at the Hungarian Grand Prix, the manufacturer was confident that Michael Schumacher could do what no other Formula one driver has done before and become world champion for the fifth consecutive time. Schumacher’s seventh Formula One championship was confirmed with his second place podium position at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Ferrari supplier BBS has said that it is proud to have contributed its extremely light and sturdy forged magnesium wheels to all seven world champion titles. The development partnership with Ferrari obviously inspires the Schiltach, Black Forest, engineers as each year they contribute innovative ideas to the success of the Scuderia.
Schumacher and Bridgestone Claim Seventh Title
Product NewsMichael Schumacher has claimed a record-breaking seventh world championship title at the Belgian Grand Prix.
TPMS Becoming More and More Common
Product NewsRunflats are becoming more and more common and not only for high sophisticated models such as the Ferrari 612 Scaglietta, which uses Bridgestone RE 050 RFT – but also for middle class models. However because it is necessary to use a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) when using runflats, these systems are becoming more popular from a lot of companies outside the tyre industry. In the next issue Tyres & Accessories will give an overview of why tyre dealers have to be involved in such a growing market segment.
Bridgestone supplies Runflat Tyres for Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
Product NewsBridgestone has announced that it has begun supplying Potenza RE050 RFT runflat tyres to Ferrari, for installation on the 612 Scaglietti. This will be the first model that Ferrari has equipped with Bridgestone runflats.
Pirelli To Supply Volkswagen Racing Cup
Product NewsPirelli is to be the new official tyre supplier to the Volkswagen Racing Cup in the UK. All competitors in the 2004 championship, which gets underway in April, will run on Pirelli P Zero tyres. The Volkswagen Racing Cup joins the UK’s Seat Cupra Championship and the Pirelli Maranello Ferrari Challenge in using Pirelli tyres. The company also supplies its product to the American Le Mans Series and to GT teams internationally. Since its inception in 2000, the Volkswagen Racing Cup has grown to become one of the best-supported and most successful club championships in Britain. Last season more than 30 drivers took part, handling cars ranging in size from a 1.8-litre turbocharged Lupo to a four-wheel-drive Golf R32.
Williams criticises FIA investigation
Product NewsWilliams Technical Director Patrick Head has criticised the FIA for its investigation into Ferrari’s Bridgestone tyres, used at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The FIA took away a left front tyre and a right rear tyre and Head says that, due to the conditions at Monza, these tyres require a harder compound, while a softer compound would be an advantage on the left rear and right front. Had Ferrari been mixing compounds, this would not have become apparent, says Head, who described the investigation as “not very useful”.
Pirelli hopeful of Petit Le Mans success
Product NewsThis weekend sees the finale of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), the Petit Le Mans. The 1,000-mile or 10-hour race is being held at Road Atlanta, not far from Pirelli’s MIRS factory at Rome, Georgia, and Pirelli’s hopes are riding on the Ferrari 550 Maranellos of Team Olive Garden. Pirelli won the inaugural Petit Le Mans event in 1998.
