Bridgestone ‘Puts the Lead Out’
Starting with the European Grand Prix, Bridgestone has introduced new recyclable tin weights into its Formula One and GP2 Series wheel and tyre balancing process. The use of tin as balance weights, comments Bridgestone, is believed to have a lower environmental impact than the previously utilised lead weights. Over the course of a season the company uses almost a tonne of wheel balance weights.
Continue ReadingHankook Team Farnbacher Ready for Le Mans Series at the Nürburgring
Hankook Team Farnbacher drivers Pierre Kaffer – this year’s class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours – and Allan Simonsen in the GT2 class will be on the starting line for the 1000 kilometre race of the Le Mans Series, which is to be held at the Nürburgring on August 23. The Team will be driving a Ferrari F430 GT fitted with Hankook Ventus racing tyres.
Continue ReadingMikkelsen, Hankook Geared Up for Barum Rally
Norwegian rally ace Andreas Mikkelsen has completed a successful test in the Hankook Opel Corsa ahead of the Barum Czech Rally Zlin, to be held later this month. The 20 year old headed to the UK for his first taste of the Hankook-liveried car that is contesting selected rallies this year ahead of a full assault on the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2010.
Continue ReadingFirth Wins Avon Tyres British GT4 Championship "By a Big Margin"
A metal commodities trader from Wakefield has been crowned the 2009 Avon Tyres British GT4 champion after clinching the title at Silverstone on August 16. Jody Firth, who races a 500bhp Ginetta G50 for Team WFR in the UK’s premier sportscar championship, now has an unassailable lead in the GT4 class, leading team-mate Nigel Moore by nine points with one round remaining. With the pair certain to share the car in the final round, Moore can only receive the same points as Firth and the gap between the two will thus remain the same.
Continue ReadingYokohama UK Distributor Reports WTCC “Great Success”
July's UK round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship at Brands Hatch was dubbed “a resounding success” by the UK distributor of Yokohama tyres, whose flagship ADVAN range is used as control tyre for the series. Yokohama HPT hosted dealers and clients to witness the spectacle of the world's best touring car racing.
Continue ReadingButton Launches Bridgestone Roadshow
British Formula One Drivers Championship leader, Jenson Button opened Bridgestone’s Driving Nation Roadshow in Birmingham on Thursday 30 July.
Continue ReadingF1 Performance Feeds into HP Tyres from Bridgestone
Having supplied the tyres exclusively to Formula One for the past two seasons, Bridgestone could be said to know a thing or two about racing performance. The technical leap to produce slicks this year shows that the company is no slouch in terms of making changes too. But does the company’s knowledge of track-based technology aid its development of UHP products for road users? Bridgestone certainly believes so, underlining the point by using the same Potenza branding on its road-going products as it does on its F1 rubber: “The technological advances that Bridgestone makes on the racetrack feed directly into its high performance road tyres,” it states. In its unique role in F1, Bridgestone works with many of the world’s major motor manufacturers in a high performance environment. Technical developments made on the track with such manufacturers as Toyota and Ferrari, Bridgestone explains, are applied to Bridgestone’s high performance passenger car tyres. Andy Dingley, advertising and promotions manager at Bridgestone, comments: “As we supply all of the teams in F1 we have generated large amounts of technical data, as well as learning new methods of working, which is certainly beneficial for our passenger tyre development strategy.”
Continue ReadingF1: Bridgestone Roll Out Super Softs for Shanghai Grand Prix
In Shanghai, Bridgestone’s super soft tyre was used by Jenson Button’s Brawn as he set Friday’s fastest lap time in the afternoon practice session held in sunny weather conditions. Lewis Hamilton had set the fastest time on the harder compound in the morning session. The practice session is the first time that Bridgestone’s super soft compound tyre has been used at Shanghai. Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development noted that the early Championship leaders Brawn and Toyota “appear to be using their tyres well, but some other teams are still finding the best set-ups. In the second session we saw both tyres used and the performance of the super soft in terms of degradation was not as bad as in Australia.” He was also keen to stress the challenge posed by Bridgestone’s employment of the super soft tyre, in line with the supplier’s promise to make tyre usage an important tactical aspect of the season: “For 2009 we are making a bigger difference between the two compounds and this is in response to requests for this from the FIA and the teams… Here we have the medium tyre, which should be a strong race tyre, and the super soft, which will require good tyre management in terms of car set-up and driving style. Of course, we saw different approaches to using the super soft tyre in Australia, with some approaches working much better than others, so it will be interesting to see competitors rise to the challenge here in Shanghai.”
Continue ReadingBridgestone E-reporter Navarro to Commentate for 2009 F1 Season
Bridgestone has announced that Guillaume Navarro, winner of the 2008 Bridgestone e-reporter competition, will serve as a commentator at the be commentating on the FIA Formula One World Championship for RMC Sport radio (Radio Monte Carlo) for the full 2009 season. At the opening round of this year’s Formula One Season, held in Australia between 27-29 March, Navarro will officially be behind the microphone for the first time as part of the commentary team for RMC Sport Radio, France’s leading sport radio station.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Motorsport Announces F1 Tyre Specifications
Formula One tyre supplier Bridgestone has announced the compound allocations of its Potenza tyres for the first five rounds of the 2009 season. This year sees the return of slick tyres to Formula One after an eleven-season absence, and their comeback enables the implementation of softer rubber compounds – and this means more mechanical grip is available for competitors. This change, says Bridgestone, is significant for teams and drivers and is accompanied by considerable changes to the car aerodynamic packages, designed to reduce downforce and stimulate overtaking.
Continue ReadingBridgestone F1 Tyres Go Green
Kermit the Frog sang that ‘it’s not easy being green’, however this year’s Formula One teams may beg to differ. And while we don’t wish to declaim the truth behind Kermit’s musical lament, all race teams must do to be green in 2009 is sit back and await the arrival of Bridgestone’s soft dry weather and extreme wet weather tyres. On February 26 the Japanese tyre major announced it will supply ‘Make Cars Green’ tyres to every team at every Formula One race this season. Through this initiative, Bridgestone says it aims to further spread the message of the ‘Make Cars Green’ environmental campaign it has been promoting globally with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile since last year.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Experience “Difficult F1 Test”
The official tyre supplier to Formula One, Bridgestone Motorsport has completed its first group test of 2009 at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve near Portimão, Portugal, where two compounds of 2009 specification slick tyres were used, as well as current specification wet and extreme wet tyres. Five teams were present over four days of testing between 19-22 January. Though the Algarve location is famed for its good weather, the test was affected by wet and windy weather, and at one stage hailstones fell on the track during the course of the four days. While Bridgestone’s soft and super soft compound slick tyres were available for use, teams predominantly opted for the wet and extreme wet tyres. Adding to the difficulty of the wet weather, the ambient temperature was also much cooler than is expected to be experienced at races this season. This restricted the amount of meaningful data that could be obtained. Compounding the problem was the relatively new circuit, whose surface was very slippery as a result of both the weather and its freshness.
Continue ReadingBERU f1systems Develops Infra Red Tyre Heat Sensor
BERU f1systems has developed a high resolution infra-red tyre sensor designed to help optimise vehicle set up and tyre performance in the wake of restricted F1 testing. According to the company, it is the first time a sensor providing temperature and pressure data unaffected by heat soak has been produced by BERU f1systems. “Tyre temperature sensors are normally fitted to the rim as part of the valve,” says managing director John Bailey. “Heat soak from the rim and brakes distorts results leading to incorrect set up. Our system uses IR sensors to measure the inside temperature of the tyre itself, not just the air temperature.”
Continue ReadingF1 Fun at Chiltern Tyres
Chiltern Tyre and Exhaust Specialists based in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire played host to Bridgestone’s Formula One car as part of a family fun day. Families were invited down to the free event to get up close to the Formula One car, which took centre stage at the event alongside the Bridgestone Formula One simulator. Visitors had their photos taken with the real Ferrari racing car, tested their driving skills on the simulator and enjoyed the food on offer. The kids at the event were also treated to free face painting all day.
Continue ReadingBridgestone Completes First F1 Slicks Test
The official tyre supplier to Formula One, Bridgestone, spent the last three days (17-19 November) on hand at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. Twenty-two drivers participated in the three days of testing, producing sample data for the company’s new compound slick tyres, which will be used in the 2009 season, as well as running on the 2008 specification grooved tyres. Dry conditions at the track meant that there was no need for Bridgestone’s wet, extreme wet or development single wet tyre; although the weather was cold, meaning that attaining and maintaining tyre temperature was a challenge for teams, particularly with the hard compound slick. Teams used visibly different packages, with development 2009 aerodynamic packages, interim and 2008 specification cars all in use. There was also some use of KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) by certain teams.
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