Formula One news

Bridgestone going soft for Hungary

Formula One heads to Hungary for the eleventh round of the FIA Formula One World Championship where Bridgestone's soft and super soft Potenza tyres will tackle the tight turns of the 4.38 km Hungaroring circuit. 

The tight and twisty nature of the circuit combined with the difficult surface means that front tyre graining, particularly on the left hand side, is likely to be a factor, especially early in the weekend. Heat is another issue in Hungary, as this event has frequently been one of the hottest of the year. It's not always hot however, and in 2006 Formula One visited an exceptionally wet circuit, leading to an action-packed race. 

Hirohide Hamashima, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development, said, "The Hungaroring is an interesting circuit, especially as it is not used much during the year. This means the circuit grip levels experienced on Friday are likely to be very different from those experienced in the race. For deciding set-up and tyre strategy, this makes things difficult, and competitors will have to work hard. Tyre management, particularly with graining, is very important, and qualifying position is crucial as overtaking is difficult." 

"We tested our medium compound current specification Potenza in Jerez as well as two slick tyres for next season, one with a revised working range for use with tyre blankets," he added. "This was a valuable test and the feedback and data we collected was largely in line with our expectations. Grip levels are increased with the slick tyres and teams are still learning how best to utilise this. Of course, it is difficult for teams using a tyre designed for next year's regulations as there will be a lot of changes to the cars. It will be very interesting when we see the true 2009 specification cars in action. "

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