Formula One news

Bridgestone changes allocation format

Bridgestone has announced that the types of tyres to be used by teams between the Hungarian and Italian Grands Prix will no non-consecutive compounds. With each driving needing to make use of two compounds during a race and the tyre manufacturer attempting to minimise risks, the changes have been made in the name of safety.

This season sees four different stiffness levels used in Bridgestone's 'slick' F1 tyres: Hard, Medium, Soft and Super Soft. At each race weekend, the sole tyre manufacturer selects two non-consecutive compounds (ie. Hard and Soft or Medium and Super Soft) in order to ensure a notable performance difference between the two types. On top of this, Intermediate and Wet tyres are also on offer for those races which feature variable conditions.

For the four races between Hungary and Italy, however, Bridgestone had decided to abandon the current pattern and use the same method as in Monaco, where consecutive compounds are made use of (ie. Hard and Medium, Medium and Soft or Soft and Super Soft). As always, the softer of the two options at a Grand Prix will be indicated by a green stripe on the sidewall of the tyre, with green being the chosen colour as Bridgestone supports governing body the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign.

"We have made the change to the tyre allocation concept based on the data we have collected from races so far this year combined with our knowledge of the tracks we will visit for these races," explained Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development. "The cars of 2009 are very different to those used last year - and they do use their tyres differently - so we have learnt a lot so far this year."


Tyre specifications for Rounds 10-13:

Hungaroring, Hungary - Super Soft & Soft
Valencia, Europe - Super Soft & Soft
Spa, Belgium - Soft & Medium
Monza, Italy - Soft & Medium


"Hungary is a circuit where the characteristics demand our softest tyres," Hamashima explained. "This is also true for street courses; we used the softest allocation earlier in the year at Monaco and will again in Valencia. At Spa the temperatures can be quite cool, so the Hard compound could have caused difficulties and the Super Soft would have been too soft for the track, so that means the allocation of Medium and Soft is obvious. At Monza the Hard compound would have given too big a difference between it and the Soft, so we will bring the Soft and the Medium."

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