Bridgestone: The Legendary F1 Tyre Supplier
Formula 1 stays the hot sportspeople have liked since its beginning in the 1950s. The grand racing format improved with time. Like the aerodynamic engineering, the track thickness and length of straights, the engine power, racing tyres also do their part in shaping the overall feel of the race. Many companies have supplied tyres to Formula 1 racecars. Among the prominent names to manufacture tyres for the races is Bridgestone. They ran a successful partnership with Formula 1 lasting 14 years.
As of now, Pirelli is the sole F1 tyre manufacturer since Bridgestone left at the end of 2010. They have done an outstanding job of supplying tyres. However, before Pirelli arrived, F1 had some extra-thrilling moments in the years with Bridgestone.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the circuit that was to host the 2005 US GP. Much to the surprise of the circuit and the fans, the race was unable to feature the 14 F1 drivers people expected to see in the event. Michael Schumacher ended up winning the controversial race even though he was not involved in the controversy.
It all started in the practice session when Ralf Schumacher crashed while testing the circuit’s 13th turn. When the reason behind the crash was inquired, the tyres got caught. Michelin had manufactured Ralf Schumacher’s car tyres. After Michelin did some research on their own, they found the tyres to be unsafe at high speed on the turn. They sent a message to the governing bodies of F1 about the risk of using the tyres and asked if they could bring another batch of tyres to the race. Unfortunately, the FIA declined via the rule that allows only one set of tyres to be used in a weekend. When their request for a new batch of tyres got rejected, they sought to build a chicane so that the cars could slow down before the 13th turn. That request was also rejected.
Compared to the dismal tyre conditions of Michelin, Bridgestone came out as the clear winner. They had manufactured tyres for six cars belonging to Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan. Consequently, it was decided the 14 cars that had the Michelin tyres would not take part in the race whereas the 6 cars having Bridgestone tyres would. Fans were unaware of the situation until the race began. Despite the race having its fair share of thrill, it just wasn’t fun to watch for the fans who had paid for the tickets to watch all 20 cars race. The disappointment on the fans’ faces was hard to ignore as soon as they started throwing beer bottles from the stands. At the end of the race, the booing was all Michael Schumacher could hear from the fans – a very low moment for a great driver.
Michelin tyres cost fans the race they wanted to see. Teams having Michelin tyres later apologized to the fans. Some ticket holders even got their money back. However, Michelin alone was not to blame for the debacle. In what had been years of struggle to attract an audience in the US, one might argue Formula 1 should have made a compromise to allow the race to go ahead as planned with the addition of either the Michelin-recommended safety measures installed or a new batch of tyres brought. Today, the story is different though. United States Grand Prix has involved many famous stars to make the event more colourful. F1 is gaining a strong fanbase in the US now.
Coronavirus pandemic cancelled the 2020 Australian GP despite Formula 1 ignoring the massive nature of the virus till the very last moment. It could be argued had the McLaren team member not been tested positive, the race would not have cancelled. We don’t even want to find out what consequences that might have incurred. Nonetheless, as soon as the McLaren employee tested positive, the team decided not to participate in the race. Sebastian Vettel was among the few to notice Formula One’s audacity and the potential risks it carried with it. After the McLaren news, Vettel did not wait long to pack his bags and leave.
Grosjean Uncertain
Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean has recently talked to Kym Illman where he has revealed his conversation with the German driver long after midnight. Race cancellation rumours and all the uncertainty surrounding it had people like Grosjean worried so much that he texted Sebastian Vettel on Whatsapp to ask him about the race. Vettel revealed to him that he was already at the airport. Ferrari had told Vettel to go if he wanted to. The race could not have gone ahead anyway considering the test results.
Meanwhile, In Self-Isolation
As of now, we cannot say for certain when the crisis is going to end. Although some drivers have opted to exercise to be prepared for the race when the time comes while others have set up driving simulations. Lando Norris has shown other drivers what they are missing out on with his racing adventures online.
Vettel, On The Other Hand
Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, might still be weighing up his options post-2020. The season’s early practice sessions in the Circuit de Catalunya offered little optimism for those of us hoping to see Vettel win the championship with Ferrari. The struggles are only going to get real for him as Leclerc gains more experience with Ferrari. More answers will come when the F1 2020 season kicks off.
End of the Bridgestone, Formula 1 Partnership
In 2009, they announced the end of their relationship with arguably the world’s best racing competition. Having dominated the tyres market in F1 for such a long time, what caused them to leave F1? Well, for one, they wanted to explore environmentally friendly options. Their decision to leave meant the Formula 1 would struggle to find a good tyre manufacturer. Bridgestone did not leave only because they wanted to make the world a better place. Mostly, they struggled to adapt to changes the global downturn brought with it. Many other companies like Toyota Motor and Honda also faced the same challenges as Bridgestone did.As of now, Pirelli is the sole F1 tyre manufacturer since Bridgestone left at the end of 2010. They have done an outstanding job of supplying tyres. However, before Pirelli arrived, F1 had some extra-thrilling moments in the years with Bridgestone.
Green Grooves Tyres
In 2008, during the Japanese Grand Prix, Bridgestone brought a new design for the tyres that had green grooves. This was done as part of the FIA efforts to promote environment-friendly racing. As good as the campaign was, it still caused problems with the tyres’ compatibility with the teams. Therefore, Bridgestone decided to paint the sidewalls of the option tyre green.2005 Controversy at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway
US Grand Prix of 2005 is known as the most controversial story in the F1 history regarding tyres. 2005 F1 Season allowed two tyre manufacturers to take part in the races. That resulted in some teams choosing Michelin while others Bridgestone.Indianapolis Motor Speedway was the circuit that was to host the 2005 US GP. Much to the surprise of the circuit and the fans, the race was unable to feature the 14 F1 drivers people expected to see in the event. Michael Schumacher ended up winning the controversial race even though he was not involved in the controversy.
It all started in the practice session when Ralf Schumacher crashed while testing the circuit’s 13th turn. When the reason behind the crash was inquired, the tyres got caught. Michelin had manufactured Ralf Schumacher’s car tyres. After Michelin did some research on their own, they found the tyres to be unsafe at high speed on the turn. They sent a message to the governing bodies of F1 about the risk of using the tyres and asked if they could bring another batch of tyres to the race. Unfortunately, the FIA declined via the rule that allows only one set of tyres to be used in a weekend. When their request for a new batch of tyres got rejected, they sought to build a chicane so that the cars could slow down before the 13th turn. That request was also rejected.
Compared to the dismal tyre conditions of Michelin, Bridgestone came out as the clear winner. They had manufactured tyres for six cars belonging to Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan. Consequently, it was decided the 14 cars that had the Michelin tyres would not take part in the race whereas the 6 cars having Bridgestone tyres would. Fans were unaware of the situation until the race began. Despite the race having its fair share of thrill, it just wasn’t fun to watch for the fans who had paid for the tickets to watch all 20 cars race. The disappointment on the fans’ faces was hard to ignore as soon as they started throwing beer bottles from the stands. At the end of the race, the booing was all Michael Schumacher could hear from the fans – a very low moment for a great driver.
Michelin tyres cost fans the race they wanted to see. Teams having Michelin tyres later apologized to the fans. Some ticket holders even got their money back. However, Michelin alone was not to blame for the debacle. In what had been years of struggle to attract an audience in the US, one might argue Formula 1 should have made a compromise to allow the race to go ahead as planned with the addition of either the Michelin-recommended safety measures installed or a new batch of tyres brought. Today, the story is different though. United States Grand Prix has involved many famous stars to make the event more colourful. F1 is gaining a strong fanbase in the US now.
Solo Tyre Manufacturer Run (1999-2000, 2007-2010)
After the 2006 F1 season, Bridgestone enjoyed its next four years being the sole tyre manufacturer of Formula 1. They are still remembered for their dependable performance in all those years with the best racing formula in the world.Romain Grosjean Texts With Sebastian Vettel Revealed
Coronavirus pandemic cancelled the 2020 Australian GP despite Formula 1 ignoring the massive nature of the virus till the very last moment. It could be argued had the McLaren team member not been tested positive, the race would not have cancelled. We don’t even want to find out what consequences that might have incurred. Nonetheless, as soon as the McLaren employee tested positive, the team decided not to participate in the race. Sebastian Vettel was among the few to notice Formula One’s audacity and the potential risks it carried with it. After the McLaren news, Vettel did not wait long to pack his bags and leave.
Grosjean Uncertain
Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean has recently talked to Kym Illman where he has revealed his conversation with the German driver long after midnight. Race cancellation rumours and all the uncertainty surrounding it had people like Grosjean worried so much that he texted Sebastian Vettel on Whatsapp to ask him about the race. Vettel revealed to him that he was already at the airport. Ferrari had told Vettel to go if he wanted to. The race could not have gone ahead anyway considering the test results.
Meanwhile, In Self-Isolation
As of now, we cannot say for certain when the crisis is going to end. Although some drivers have opted to exercise to be prepared for the race when the time comes while others have set up driving simulations. Lando Norris has shown other drivers what they are missing out on with his racing adventures online.
Vettel, On The Other Hand
Sebastian Vettel, on the other hand, might still be weighing up his options post-2020. The season’s early practice sessions in the Circuit de Catalunya offered little optimism for those of us hoping to see Vettel win the championship with Ferrari. The struggles are only going to get real for him as Leclerc gains more experience with Ferrari. More answers will come when the F1 2020 season kicks off.
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