Bridgestone Motorsport Jerez Test Summary
February 24, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Bridgestone Motorsport concluded two pre-season tests at the Circuito de Jerez last Saturday, where extensive use was made of Bridgestone’s wet and intermediate tyres for the majority of eight days’ testing at the track in southern Spain, on February 10-13 and 17-20.
The final two days provided extensive dry running, but prior to that uncharacteristic and persistent rain in Spain made matters difficult for teams trying to develop their new cars for the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship, for which Bridgestone is the Official Tyre Supplier.
Three compounds of 2010 specification dry tyres were available, with all but the super soft on offer, but it was the wet and intermediate tyres which were used for the majority of the time. Such was the demand for these tyres that Bridgestone sent extra sets of both for all teams from its UK base. Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres will next be used in test action this week at Barcelona on February 25-28 where all four dry compounds as well as the wet and intermediate will be available.
Q&A with Jun Matsuzaki – Assistant Technical Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport:
How much of a factor has the weather been in Jerez?
“I think this is the most rain ever seen at Jerez, and on Thursday night it was almost impossible to leave the circuit as there was so much water on the roads. Fortunately, there was no more rain left in the sky so we had good dry running on Friday and Saturday which was very valuable.”
What are the difficulties with testing in wet conditions?
“The difficulty with wet conditions is that they are never constant so there are too many variables to gain good data and develop cars. If it is raining, the circuit is getting wetter so lap times become slower because of this. If it is a drying track, there will be improving lap times due to the improved track surface, a change to the car, or use of a different tyre. This makes it very difficult for everyone. Also, logistically, we had to bring out extra wet and intermediate tyres to enable the teams to continue
running in these difficult conditions.”
“The difficult factor has been that these tyres have been used before the teams have been able to get good dry set-ups on their cars. This is important to have as it makes finding a wet set-up far easier. This has meant we’ve seen a variety of wear characteristics, particularly on the intermediate tyre which is used on a drier track than the wet. When the intermediate is used on a track which has dry patches, or on a car where the set-up is not so balanced, you do see more wear with this tyre. The additional weight of the fuel loads in this season’s cars also adds to the difference in wear from that seen before. Equally, Jerez is a circuit which has quite high wear so we expect better performance as teams develop better set-ups of their cars and at less severe circuits than Jerez.”
What have you learnt about the dry tyres?
“Saturday was the only day where we started with a dry track and we had very little rain through the day, so we are still working with limited data. We can say that warm-up has been good for all three dry compounds here, with a definite improvement from last season’s tyres. It is too early to understand the differences between the compounds. Jerez is particularly severe on the rear tyres and we are happy with their performance from what we have seen so far. Hopefully, we will have better weather in Barcelona.”
Bridgestone Motorsport announce tyre specifications
February 10, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Bridgestone, the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, is pleased to announce the compound allocations of Potenza tyres for the first three rounds of the 2010 FIA Formula One World Championship.
This season will be the second with slick tyres which made a return to Formula One last year after eleven years absence from the sport. Changes for 2010 include a narrower front tyre and new constructions front and rear. All four dry compounds are modified from those used last year.
Just as in 2009, non consecutive allocations of tyres will occur at many circuits. Despite the changes to the compounds themselves, the compound names remain the same, with the range consisting of hard, medium, soft and super soft. There are two distinct temperature working ranges of tyres. The hard and medium have a higher temperature working range than the soft and super soft.
In a change to the regulations, the number of sets of dry tyres available for each driver at a grand prix changes from seven of each compound to six of the harder ‘prime’ compound and five of the softer ‘option’ compound.
The wet and intermediate tyres have no significant changes apart from the width of the front intermediate tyre, which will now be the same as the new dry front tyre.
The means of distinguishing between the two compounds on event will be through means of green bands painted on the edges of the tyre sidewalls of the softer tyres at a race. The wet tyre also has a green line at the bottom of the central groove. These markings allow the compounds to be visually distinguishable by fans at the circuit and those watching on television. The green colour shows Bridgestone’s continued support of the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.
“Tyre strategy will be very important in 2010 as there is no longer refuelling which was previously a big factor in determining when pit stops would occur. We have changed all our dry compounds for this season, as the cars will be heavier and the stint lengths could be longer. We have also made changes to enable quicker warm-up times. We will bring harder tyres to Australia than we did last season, but the compound allocation positions for Bahrain and Malaysia are the same as they were in 2009. There will be a big challenge for teams this season on how they use their tyres as they have fewer sets of dry tyres available than before, particularly with the softer tyre at each race. We are happy to continue to show our support of the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign with the green markings on our tyres and we look forward to what should be a very exciting start to the season in Bahrain.”
Tyre compounds for the 2010 season:
05-Feb-10: Virgin Racing Debuts Car at Silverstone
February 5, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Daily F1 News
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Bridgestone Motorsport Valencia Test Summary & 2010 Season Preview
February 4, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Bridgestone Motorsport, the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, has completed the first group test of the exciting new 2010 season after three days at the 4.05 km Circuit Comunitat de la Valenciana, in Spain.
This was the first opportunity for teams, drivers and observers to see in action the final specification of the new narrow front Potenza F1 tyre developed by Bridgestone for this season. With a tyre size of 245/ 55R13, the new front tyre when fitted to a rim is 20mm narrower than the 2009 specification and is designed to redress the balance of the cars after grooves were removed from the tyres ahead of the 2009 season.
Bridgestone will again have four dry tyre compounds (Hard, Medium, Soft and Super Soft) to cover the 19 race calendar, with two selected per race weekend. Two of these four compound designations of 2010 dry tyre: the Soft and Super Soft; were available for use by the teams in Valencia this week, as well as the current specification intermediate and wet weather tyres.
Seven teams attended the test, which took place between 1-3 February, with sunny conditions and moderate winds prevailing over the course of the three day test.
Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres will next be seen in use in Jerez on February 10-13, where Bridgestone expects ten teams to be present, including Virgin Racing, the first of the four new F1 teams to break cover. This will be quickly followed by another four days of testing at Jerez from February 17-20, where Lotus Racing is also expected to join the group test. Along with the intermediate and wet weather tyres, the Medium will be the main dry compound available at both these Jerez tests, with teams also able to request the Hard and Soft compounds as additional options during both weeks.
Q&A with Tetsuro Kobayashi – Technical Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport:
Which specifications were brought to Valencia and why?
“We brought the Soft and Super Soft dry compound tyres to Valencia, along with our intermediate and wet weather specifications too. Valencia is a less severe track compared to some and although it has a slightly rough surface we are able to use our softer compounds here. One interesting factor at Valencia however is the front tyre graining caused by the lateral forces, which makes it a good track for us to evaluate the graining resistance of our front tyres. This is in contrast to the Jerez track, where teams will next test, which is much more severe, especially on the rear tyres. So we will be able to check our rear tyre performance more thoroughly next week.”
First test of the year with no fewer than seven teams: what was learnt from this test?
“First of all, we are pleased to have seen the good potential of the 2010 specifications, even though it’s a little difficult to judge fully the true performance because of the special characteristics of the Valencia circuit. So far though, our tyre performance is in line with our expectations. We are expecting to learn more about rear tyre behaviour at the next consecutive Jerez tests where the rough tarmac and severe layout will provide a good testing opportunity for the Bridgestone rear tyres.”
The next two tests will be at Jerez. Which specifications will be seen there?
“The Medium compound will be supplied as the prime compound for both of the tests and the Hard and Soft compounds will be available during both week one and week two as option compounds.”
Why has Bridgestone only now developed the narrow front?
“The decision to change from grooved to slick tyres ahead of the 2009 season meant that the front tyres gained proportionately more contact surface area in comparison to the rear tyres. This in turn gave the fronts more grip than was ideally required. However, at the request of the teams, who had already designed their 2009 cars based on the previous sized fronts, we delayed the introduction of the narrow front until 2010.”
How much more narrow is the new front and did the teams have to do anything in particular to accommodate it?
“Of course, being a new sized front, the front construction has been slightly modified but the other main change this year has been a change to the rear tyre construction in order to increase its durability. There has also been some modification of the tyre compounds in order to manage the expected longer stint lengths and to provide quicker warm up times in comparison to our 2009 compound range.”
How much work is involved from Bridgestone’s perspective in designing, developing and manufacturing new tyre specifications?
“There is a great deal of effort required when designing and introducing new tyre specifications. Firstly, it is vital that the tyres are safe and of a high quality. They must also be capable of doing the job they have been designed for. Our tyre designers and engineers at our Technical Centre in Kodaira City, Tokyo, Japan, were extremely busy last year working on the prototypes and ensuring that the final specifications met the stringent quality and performance tests at our indoor testing facility. Only when tyres pass these tests on the rigs are they allowed to be run on the cars. It has to be said that the teams have also played an important part in this process as their simulation data is vital in ensuring that we are placing the tyres under the right amounts and types of loading. It is very much a collaborative process and we now look forward to seeing the tyres in action on the race tracks.”
Does the no refuelling rule and anticipated longer stint lengths place the tyres under added stresses?
“Certainly, with the cars being potentially 100kgs heavier this year at the start of the races than last year, the longer stint lengths with greater amounts of fuel will place additional loads on t he tyres but our 2010 casing should be much more durable in comparison to the 2009 casing: the strengthened rear construction in particular; will help the cars accommodate this new rule. We will also keep monitoring and analysing the data very carefully at the coming winter tests and races because the downforce created by the 2010 cars will keep improving throughout the season. We have already noted that much higher downforces are being produced in comparison to last season.”
How will Bridgestone allocate the two types of dry tyre in 2010?
“Like 2009, Bridgestone intends to take two dry compounds which are a step allocation apart to most races: Hard and Soft or Medium and Super Soft for example. This will not be possible at some races however, such as Monaco, where it is important to have consecutive soft compounds to ensure maximum grip on the street circuit. The compound allocation will again be determined by Bridgestone, based on our experience of previous years and the data received from the teams.”
How many sets of tyres will drivers have available at race weekends?
“The number of sets of dry tyres to be made available in 2010 for each driver per race weekend has been reduced from 14 sets to 11 sets. These will consist of six sets of the “prime” tyre and five sets of the “option” tyre. Furthermore, we will provide four sets of intermediate tyre and three sets of wet tyre. This is welcome news from Bridgestone’s perspective as we will have additional teams to supply and provide tyre fitting services to this year and we thank the FIA and teams for their co-operation in this regard.”
How will the tyres be visually distinguishable from each other this season?
“We will mark the softer of the two compounds available at each race weekend with green bands on the outer edges of the sidewalls. We tested many different alternatives and this location gave the best visibility, from the side and also a head-on view. We have used the colour green as it shows our support of the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.”
Virgin Racing – VR-01 Vital Statistics
February 3, 2010 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Chassis
Construction – Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction monocoque and nosebox
Suspension
Wishbones – Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction with titanium flexure joints
Uprights – Virgin Racing aluminium alloy construction
Dampers – Penske
Wheels and Tyres
Wheels – BBS
Tyres – Bridgestone Potenza
Fuel System
Fuel cell – ‘FT5’ safety specification
Fuel capacity – In excess of 200 litres
Brakes
Calipers – AP Racing 6 pot calipers
Discs/pads – Hitco Carbon-Carbon
Steering
Steering wheel – Virgin Racing carbon fibre construction
Power steering – Virgin Racing hydraulic steering assist
Driver seat – Anatomically formed carbon composite
Seat belts – Six-point harness (75mm shoulder straps with HANS system)
Electronics
ECU and logging system – FIA standard ECU & FIA homologated electronic & electrical system
Transmission
Gearbox – Virgin Racing precision aluminium construction with 7-speed, longitudinally mounted Xtrac internals
Differential – Electronically controlled hydraulic differential
Gear Selection – Paddle operated hydraulic shift system with “seamless shift”
Clutch – AP Racing
Driveshafts – One–piece driveshafts with integral tripod joints
Dimensions
Overall Length Approx 5500 mm
Overall Height Approx 950 mm
Overall Width Approx 1800 mm
Wheelbase
Approx 3200 mm
ENGINE
Designation – Cosworth CA2010
Duty Cycle Type – 4 stroke reciprocating piston, normally aspirated
Configuration – 8 cylinders in banked V configuration with an angle of 90 degrees
Construction – Cast aluminium alloy cylinder block and head, forged aluminium pistons, steel crankshaft
Capacity – 2,400cc
Valves – 32 with pneumatic valve springs
Maximum Speed – Limited to 18,000rpm
Timing – Double overhead cams driven via compliant gear from crankshaft
Mass – In excess of 95kg
Cylinder Bore – Less than 98mm
Fuelling – 8 injectors supplied by a pressurized system at 100bar
Ignition – 8 ignition coils each driving single spark plug
Lubrication – Dry sump
Spark Plugs - Champion
Bridgestone Motorsport Jerez Test Summary
December 7, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
Motor sport’s finest up and coming drivers sampled Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres in the final group test of 2009 at the Jerez racing circuit in southern Spain on December 1-3.
All four compounds of 2009 specification dry tyres were available and used at the test. Twenty drivers drove 2602 laps over the course of the three days for the nine attending teams. Bridgestone’s intermediate and wet tyres were also used.
Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres are next scheduled to be used at a group test at the beginning of February next year at Valencia, Spain where the 2010 specification tyres will be in use.
Q&A with Jun Matsuzaki – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport:
What was learnt from this test?
“This was an interesting test as we had many different drivers, most of whom had little or no experience of Formula One cars. The teams all had different programmes, and all four 2009 dry compounds were available to them. There was a lot of running with heavy cars to simulate the heavier fuel loads of next season so we gained useful data from this.”
How was the feedback from the young drivers?
“It was good to see so many young drivers here at the same test, and there were more experienced F1 test drivers in action too, so we had a good benchmark. We could see some of these names again in the future and our current F1 drivers will always need to keep looking over their shoulders because of these youngsters.”
What will be the changes to the tyres for the next test?
“Our 2010 tyres are designed for the requirements of the heavier fuel loads in next year’s cars and also for the potential different pit stop strategies we could see without refuelling. The construction is more durable, and the compounds have also been modified. A narrower front tyre will also be introduced to adjust the basic balance of the cars. As tyre characteristics will be changed due to the modifications, we are now working very hard with all teams to enhance their understanding of this. We are very looking forward to seeing how quickly the teams maximise tyre performance within the new regulations of 2010.”
2009 Season Review with Hirohide Hamashima, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development
November 13, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
What were the key factors for Bridgestone in 2009?
We re-introduced slick tyres and this was a significant change in philosophy in the Formula One regulations away from the grooved tyres of the previous eleven seasons. The aerodynamic regulation changes meant that teams had to work hard to develop and refine their cars though the season, and this was made harder with there being no testing. We worked very closely with all of the teams to help them to achieve their goals in this intense competition.
This season we also responded to requests to make a bigger difference between the two different compounds that the regulations stipulate we bring to races. We achieved this with the concept of different temperature working ranges for our tyre allocations and this added another element of challenge for competitors at races.
Which were the most significant factors for the sport this season?
I think that the changes in regulations combined with no testing provided the biggest challenge. Previously there would be test days all through the season and teams would be able to develop their cars and test parts with the luxury of time and mileage. This year’s change meant that we saw a variety of competitors at the front of the field, and some incredible developments to the cars over the season despite these limiting factors.
Bridgestone used slick tyres in its first season of Formula One – how much tyre development has there been in the intervening eleven years?
We have learnt a lot from our participation in Formula One. The eleven seasons with grooved tyres were very good for our development. A grooved tyre is not a natural racing tyre so making it perform like one was a big challenge. The return to slicks meant we could apply the technology and lessons learnt to the ultimate racing tyre that is a slick.
Next season there will be a smaller front tyre, tell us about this.
For 2010 we will have a narrower front tyre. This will help to bring a better grip balance between the front and the rear grip of the cars. When we changed back to slick tyres the grooved tyre size was retained, meaning that the front gained proportionally more grip than the rear. This is addressed by making the front tyre narrower.
Also next year, there will be no refuelling – how much of an impact does this have for Bridgestone?
The cars will be around 100kg heavier at the start of a race so the tyre needs to be stronger. However, when you consider that the downforce acting on a car can be as much as 2000kg an extra 100kg is not so much of a change for us in terms of our tyre compounds and construction.
For competitors the omission of refuelling will add another challenge and I expect we will see an evolution of race strategies through the season as everyone begins to understand what works best. Drivers will have to use their tyre management skills at the beginning of the race, especially at the start, when the cars are heaviest and the tyres at their coolest.
There is the new destination of Korea on the provisional calendar for next year – are you looking forward to racing at another new location?
We have welcomed many new circuits to Formula One over the past few seasons and it is always interesting to embrace new challenges. Korea will be a new circuit on the calendar and we are also due to return to Montreal which can provide its very own challenges. Nineteen races will mean that we are very busy through the year!
2009 Season Review with Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport
November 10, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
How would you evaluate the 2009 season from Bridgestone’s perspective?
The 2009 season took place in very difficult economic circumstances but within the sport of Formula One we saw fantastic competition. It was great to see so many race winners and such close racing from the cars on track, despite all of the changes. We continued to provide fair service to all of the teams who this year had new challenges with many rule changes.
The return to slick tyres was met with a positive response from the teams and the many millions of fans around the world so this was very good for us. The story of Brawn Grand Prix and Jenson Button winning the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championship titles was also remarkable and it was a great pleasure to be a part of it.
What does Bridgestone gain from its Formula One involvement?
Formula One is a highly visible marketing tool, not just for our brand but also for initiatives like the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign, for which we carry the green bands on the tyres at all events.
As well as our brand name featuring on all of our tyres at races there is also circuit branding which gains significant exposure. Through working with many of the world’s top motor manufacturers we have learnt many good lessons and established very good working relationships with them. For our sales companies around the world our involvement in Formula One gives them unique and valuable access to many top sporting events.
How important has Formula One been for Bridgestone?
Formula One has been crucial to us building the Bridgestone brand around the world. In Japan, the name Bridgestone has been famous for most of our company’s history however we needed something that would showcase our performance and technology around the world. Formula One achieves this perfectly as it is one of the world’s top sports and the only one where our products can be used as part of the sporting activity. We have developed many good business relationships in Formula One and we have worked very closely with the teams, the FIA, FOM, the circuits and it has been a pleasure to work with them this season. We also thank our staff for their hard work this year.
How will Bridgestone approach the 2010 season?
Next season will be our fourteenth season in Formula One. We will continue to deliver safe tyres to Formula One in a professional manner. Safety is always a priority for us and we will continue to promote environmental matters through the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.
It should be an interesting season as there will be no refuelling, which means that our tyres will change and we will also introduce a narrower front tyre too. There are 19 races scheduled with the return to Canada and a visit to Korea for the first time. We also look forward to welcoming new teams to this fabulous sport.
Pouring Cold Water on Formula One
November 2, 2009 by Christine
Filed under F1 Big Picture
Bridgestone confirmed today that they would not be renewing their contract to supply Formula One with tyres after the end of the 2010 season. Although the FIA haven’t said anything in response, there has been plenty of speculation over who will take their place – the front runner appears to be Pirelli.
Credit: Bridgestone Corporation
Statement from Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport
November 2, 2009 by Christine
Filed under Press Releases
It is with deep regret that Bridgestone Motorsport confirms that at 10.00am (Japan standard time) today, the Bridgestone Corporation announced its decision to not enter into a new tyre supply contract with the FIA Formula One World Championship series. The current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2010 season.
The decision made by the Board of Directors of Bridgestone comes after considerable and lengthy evaluations and has been based on the company’s need to redirect its resources towards the further intensive development of innovative technologies and strategic products.
While we understand and respect the reasons for this decision, it has nevertheless come as a great disappointment. Bridgestone’s relationship with the FIA Formula One World Championship stretches beyond being a tyre supplier. Formula One has been of strategic importance to Bridgestone in developing its technologies, raising the company’s brand awareness and providing its strategic business units around the globe with promotional and marketing tools that are intrinsically linked to our company’s core products.
It was a great honour for Bridgestone to be awarded the 2008-2010 contract as Official Tyre Supplier by the Fédération International de L’Automobile (FIA) to the pinnacle of single-seater racing and we would like to thank them for their continued support and for entrusting us with this privileged role which has seen us working at the heart of the Formula One community.
Our sincere appreciation is also extended to Mr Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management, the Formula One teams with whom it has been an honour to have worked alongside, and the many Formula One fans who have followed our activities over the past 13 years. I would also like to thank the staff of the Bridgestone Motorsport team for their professionalism, dedication and hard work, and for their passion for excellence. It remains only to reiterate that Bridgestone continues to be wholly committed to the provision of safe tyres of the highest quality to the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2010 and to the running of its tyre servicing operation at the highest level.
