Formula One
A big-hearted Dartford tyre dealer is gearing up for the challenge of a lifetime in aid of charity. Paul Vanner is joining 99 other people from across the UK in a project called Riders for Health, which aims to provide remote African villages with motorbikes, which are vital to enable them to obtain medical supplies from towns often hundreds of miles away.
(Akron/Tire Review) News reports say that Pirelli SpA may throw its hat back into the Formula One tyre ring. According to Autosport magazine, Paul Hemery, head of Pirelli’s motorsport programme, said the company was considering all of its options after FIA began accepting bids for tyre suppliers for the 2008 season.
Michael Schumacher has threatened to quit Formula One at the end of the year, according to an exclusive report in the UK newspaper, Sunday People. The article says that the seven times world champion has warned he will walk away from Ferrari if tyre manufactures Bridgestone don’t listen to him.
Bridgestone e-reporter finalist Donna Law, from Merton, London, is the youngest and only female Bridgestone e-reporter finalist in 2006. In the second phase of the pan-European competition for young sports journalists, Donna Law attended the Spanish Grand Prix as a roving reporter in the GP2 series paddock.
Michael Schumacher Bridgestone-shod Ferrari has won the European GP in front of home crowds to give Bridgestone its 97th win since entering Formula One in 1997. The result was Schumacher’s 86th win of his career. After a race-long battle, Schumacher beat the Michelin equipped Renault of Fernando Alonso into second place. Ferrari and Bridgestone’s Felipe Massa completed the podium.
In 2005 O•Z Racing celebrated successes with Fernando Alonso and Renault F1 in the constructors’ and drivers’ world championships. The start of the 2006 season has produced a strong opener to the year not only for Renault, but for O•Z Racing as well. The wheel manufacturer is once again the supplier to the World Champion team as well as to the Williams team, which also has a successful Formula One track record.
Formula One Autocentres’ has heralded the start of its ongoing expansion plans by officially launching three new state-of-the-art Centres in Doncaster, Harrow and Chesterfield. Formula One Autocentres investment programme will see the fast-fit chain increase its network of centres to 43 nationwide. Continued expansion throughout 2006 will see a further seven new Autocentres Centres opened.
Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso says his expected battle with Michael Schumacher this year’s title is likely to come down to a battle of the tyres. Alonso’s team (Renault), Honda and McLaren are all Michelin-shod teams, while their Bridgestone supply rivals Toyota, Williams and Ferrari. But it is Ferrari that have Alonso worried. “Ferrari’s success will depend on their tyres. We saw that in Bahrain. The Bridgestone worked very well – Schumacher was fighting for victory and Williams did the fastest lap of the race,” said Alonso.
Bridgestone has launched a new high-performance 4×4/SUV tyre. According to the manufacturer, the Dueler H/P Sport is the first 4×4 tyre in its portfolio to be derived from Formula One technology.
The tyre has been designed to give driving precision and comfort to the increasing number of powerful sports utility vehicles (SUVs) on UK roads today. With many new SUVs now capable of speeds of more than 140mph, Bridgestone UK’s marketing manager Andy Lane believes it is vital that these vehicles have suitable tyres.
Bridgestone Motorsport has launched a new Bridgestone Motorsport consumer website: www.bridgestonemotorsport.com aimed at bringing motorsport fans across the globe regular news and information about Bridgestone’s involvement in all of its major motor racing activities, namely the FIA Formula One World Championship, the GP2 Series, MotoGP, IRL, Champ Car World Series, Formula Nippon and SUPER GT.
SpeedTV.com has reported that McLaren boss, Ron Dennis, has hinted that Michelin’s announced withdrawal from F1 might not be definitive. Dennis said that the French company might change its position and continue into 2007 for what is supposed to be the last season of tyre competition. “Bridgestone has opened discussions with the teams and us as well. But I think there’s also some indication that it may change. We are not at this stage focusing on next year’s tyre supply. At the moment we’re very comfortable that Michelin have done a very good job.
“Of course we’re looking at two Ferraris on the front row on Bridgestone, and it’s a little confusing to see the pace of the other teams on Bridgestone, so we don’t know where we are. But I think Michelin has done a very good job, and we’d love them to continue, and I don’t think that is beyond the realms of possibility,” Dennis is reported to have said.
Bridgestone Motorsport has announced that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with the Super Aguri F1 Team for the supply of Bridgestone Potenza Formula One tyres. The agreement will commence immediately and the team is expected to run for the first time on Bridgestone F1 tyres at a shakedown test in February.
Michelin is to end its Formula One involvement after the 2006 season, the French manufacturer has reported. Explaining its decision, Michelin said it would not supply a single supplier Formula 1 series and was not happy with F1’s new direction, but did not rule out rejoining the series, if the rules were modified.
For many motorsport observers this is a somewhat understated way of describing the rift that has emerged between the manufacturer and the sport’s governing bodies. The manufacturer also complained of “constant changes to racing regulations without warning.” Following a disastrous US Grand Prix, and public disagreements with the FIA chief, Max Mosely, Michelin have obvious decided to leave the Formula 1 circus to the only other act on the scene – Bridgestone.
Tyre manufacturer Firestone has reported that more farmers are demanding 65 series tyres, instead of 70 series or standard 85 series. Tyres & Accessories magazine asked to Barry Coleman, Firestone’s marketing manager about the swing.
Formula One Autocentres has moved up a gear this month, celebrating its latest expansion programme in the Norwich area. Creating 12 new jobs for the city, the family-run business opened the doors of its newest centre (81 Barn Road, Norwich) on 19 November. To celebrate this latest development programme, the company drove down prices with a selection of tremendous opening offers.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.
