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Button’s Use of Soft Tyre in Shanghai “Intelligent Driving”, says Bridgestone’s Hamashima

Reigning Formula One World Champion Jenson Button used Bridgestone's soft compound and intermediate tyres to win the Chinese Grand Prix in mixed weather conditions at Shanghai International Circuit on April 18. The British driver piloted his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes across the line just one and a half seconds ahead of team-mate and fellow countryman Lewis Hamilton. Button started the race using soft dry compound tyres, with two sets of intermediates seeing use later in the day. Hamilton made four stops, employing a soft-intermediate-hard-intermediate-intermediate tyre strategy.

19th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon Tyres backs Molyneux at the 2010 Isle of Man TT

Avon rubber is once again the tyre of choice for Isle of Man sidecar legend, Dave Molyneux. Last year, Molyneux took his victory tally on the Island to 14, thanks in part to the Avon Tyres on his outfit. This year, it is all changed as Molyneux has a new passenger – Patrick Farrance – and now has Kawasaki power for the coming road-race season.

16th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

McLarens Set Pace on Hard and Soft Potenzas in China

Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times in Friday’s morning and afternoon practice sessions for this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, the former on the hard compound Bridgestone Potenza tyre, the latter on the soft. Conditions were described as cool and dry for the afternoon session, which benefitted users of the soft compound since it was quicker to warm up, as Bridgestone’s director of Motorsport Tyre Development, Hirohide Hamashima said: “The soft compound provided the fastest lap time today and a quicker warm-up, although the overall lap time difference was not as big as we have seen at some tracks.

16th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Continental Tire the Americas Gearing Up for Growth in 2010

Just as it takes a steady hand to navigate the waters of the Caribbean, Continental Tire the Americas is taking the same approach to its near-term efforts in the North American market, reports Tire Review. No major changes, no major announcements, just subtle adjustments and the addition of two new tyres highlighted its Gold Program Dealer Meeting, held during a three-day Caribbean cruise the 258 Gold Program dealers earned.

15th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Rossi Takes Advantage of Stoner Fall in MotoGP Opener

Valentino Rossi won the first race of the season in spectacular style after an intense race-long battle between the top four, comprising his Fiat Yamaha teammate Jorge Lorenzo who finished second having fought his way past both Repsol Honda’s Andrea Dovizioso, who finished third, and a very close fourth-placed Nicky Hayden. Every rider but Pramac Racing’s Mika Kalli opted for the harder option front Bridgestone slick.

12th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Prepares for Shanghai’s “High Lateral Forces”

Bridgestone is readying itself for the Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on 16-18 April, in what the company’s Motorsport division director calls “a very important location” due to the rapid expansion of the country’s automotive market. In this respect, Hiroshi Yasukawa continues, “it is good for Bridgestone to have a highly visible event like the Chinese Grand Prix to promote our technology here. In China we have tyre production, natural and synthetic rubber and steel cord facilities, a technical centre and proving ground, as well as a number of plants for our diversified products.”

9th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Floodlit Qatar Provides Backdrop to 2010 MotoGP Curtain Raiser

Bridgestone says that it has “adopted a different approach to slick tyre compound selection” for the inaugural race of the 2010 MotoGP season, which gets underway beneath the floodlights of the Losail circuit in Qatar on 11 April. The company is making its medium and extra hard compound slicks available for the front, with mediums and hards on the rear, signifying a change in policy not only from the softer compounds of 2009, but also in the doubling of the incremental change of the front fitments.

6th April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Bridgestone Expects “Relatively Severe” Treatment of Tyres in Malaysia

The first back-to-back Grand Prix of the 2010 Formula One season takes place at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia this weekend; tyre supplier Bridgestone will be taking 2,000 hard, soft and intermediate compound Potenzas. The company’s director of Motorsport Tyre Development, Hirohide Hamashima believes the circuit, with two long straights leading into tight, slow speed corners which require heavy braking, will be putting high energy levels through the tyres. In addition to the range of corners and the circuit’s general layout the hot weather will also provide a harsh test for the drivers’ management of their tyres. There is also a poetically cyclical aspect to Bridgestone’s visit; “much of our natural rubber comes from this region,” states Bridgestone Motorsport director, Hiroshi Yasukawa.

1st April 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Avon Motorsport Manager Roger Everson Announces Retirement

Roger Everson, sales and marketing manager with Avon motorsport, the competition division of Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe, has announced he will retire in March, after 27 years working for the company.

31st March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Button Prevails in Thrilling Australian Grand Prix

That was more like it. While the season opening Grand Prix at Bahrain was widely judged a damp squib, the Australian Grand Prix saw drivers taking greater risks with tyre wear as they fought to find the sweet spot between speed and longevity. Once again, Sebastian Vettel can count himself unfortunate, as technical problems once again cost him a probable victory, so serenely did he command the opening stages from a pole position start. Lewis Hamilton, hardly a neophyte to moaning, compounded a miserable weekend by taking a second pit-stop at the behest of the McLaren team; one which Hamilton claimed after the race was unnecessary and cost him a podium place. The decision was made based on tyre wear information, showing once again the potential for rubber-based intrigue in this year’s Championship.

29th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Dunlop and Evo Return with “Motorsport X-Factor”

Dunlop’s activities in the MSA British Touring Car Championship are not limited to being the title sponsor and tyre-supplier. The company is engaged in the hunt to find the Championship’s future stars with its Race Academy – dubbed by the manufacturer “the X-Factor of Motorsport”. The Academy will run a series of track-based events in which drivers new to racing will be able to show what they can do on the track. Playing Simon Cowell and his minions will be Evo Magazine, a BTCC driver and a Dunlop representative.

26th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

HiQ and BTCC Fans Raised £50,000

In addition to the branding opportunities implicit in motorsport involvement, the HiQ brand’s continued presence in British Touring Cars allows it to continue using the championship to further its charity activities. The fast-fitter praised the thousands of British Touring Car Championship fans this week, after it was announced they had helped to raise a staggering £50,000 for Breast Cancer Care. Not only that, company representatives told Tyres & Accessories that the upcoming season would see HiQ raising funds for the Teen Cancer Trust in 2010 – funds which will go towards a new wing at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

25th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Australian Grand Prix Offers Tyre Graining Challenge

Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development director, Hirohide Hamashima looks forward to the greater tyre challenges posed to competitors than at the season-opener in Bahrain in the Australian Grand Prix this weekend, while explaining that the supplier has addressed the issues experienced at the circuit last year: “As we saw last season, Albert Park can present many challenges. This is the first race of the season held on a non-permanent circuit. We expect to see a lot of track improvement over the course of the weekend, which makes finding a good set-up difficult.

25th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Motor Codes Names Top 10 Garages

The British motoring public has spoken – Motor Codes has revealed the top ten garages in the UK as voted for by more than 8,000 motorists as part of its nationwide ‘Golden Garages’ competition. The ten favoured establishments receiving the most votes, in alphabetical order, were:

25th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors

Cooper Tires British Formula Three Series Starts Easter Weekend

Cooper is looking forward to another season as title-sponsor and tyre-supplier to the British Formula Three Series. The company says that British F3 is one of the world’s most successful championships for aspiring Formula One drivers; with stars including Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton all racing in the series on their way to F1, it isn’t difficult to back up that claim. Most recently the last two champions have leapt straight to F1 – 2008 title winner Jaime Alguersuari now races with the Toro Rosso team while last year’s champion, Daniel Ricciardo, has been appointed official reserve driver for both Red Bull Racing and Toro Rosso in 2010.

24th March 2010/by Tyrepress Editors