F1-Blog

Bridgestone Out?

Hiroshi Yasukawa – “The decision made by the board of directors comes after considerable and lengthy evaluations and has been based on the company’s need to redirect its resources towards further intensive development of innovative technologies.”

This today from the current exclusive tyre supplier to F1, saying they will not continue to supply tyres after the 2010 season is over. This means that they will pull out of the sport after their 3 year exclusivity contract expires. What this means to F1 is unsure at the moment. Will the FIA try get another manufacturer in on an exclusive deal? or will we have the ‘tyre war’ back that added so much spice to the sport while Michelin and Bridgestone competed?

It’s believed that the extra teams, and races coming into the sport is the reason behind Bridgestone’s move away from F1. The deal they currently have with the FIA is obviously not good enough for it to be cost effective for them to invest the extra money and resources.

The thinking is however that the FIA will try for another exclusive single supplier, as that way they have better control of compounds, and hence corner speeds of the cars. However having multiple suppliers in the sport would add some spice, now that we have lost the refuelling.

Michelin are not really doing much motorsport work at the moment, even the WRC are using a Michelin sister company (BF Goodrich) and not the French tyre giant. Perhaps we will see Dunlop or Goodyear come back to the sport?