Formula One news

Bridgestone hard compound returns

Sole tyre manufacturer Bridgestone will be taking its hardest tyre compound to a Grand Prix in Spain for the first time since Malaysia. Rule changes for 2009 mean that there is now a jump between the two compounds used at each race, with Hard and Medium being used this weekend.

Those using the Medium specification during the race may need to adapt a shorter stint in order for the tyre to hold up under the high levels of downforce required for a quick lap at the Circuit de Catalunya. The loaded left-front tyre suffers from particular stress on the clockwise track, as we saw in 2005 when a number of punctures occurred with drivers allowed to use only one set of tyres for the duration of the race.

Bridgestone's Hirohide Hamashima

"Barcelona has a track surface that is the middle range in terms of abrasion and roughness, but durability and driver requirements mean our harder allocation combination is used," confirmed Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development. "Teams and drivers will have a big challenge trying to gain an advantage here as they know this track so well."

With in-season testing now banned completely, Barcelona is one of few venues to have already been visited this year. "The ambient and track temperatures are likely to be warmer than testing so that will have an affect," Hamashima noted. "Generally, we see quite close lap times and close races too. The circuit layout is well balanced so it is a good indicator of overall car balance; a car that performs in Barcelona has the potential to perform well at many places."

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