Formula One heads to the United Kingdom for the ninth round of the FIA Formula One WorldChampionship where Bridgestone’s hard and medium Potenza tyres will tackle the tough turns of the5.14km Silverstone circuit near Northampton.
This Grand Prix marks the half way point in the season and only ten points separate the top fourdrivers. Felipe Massa (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) currently leads the standings, with Robert Kubica(BMW Sauber F1 Team), Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) and Lewis Hamilton (VodafoneMcLaren Mercedes) all in hot pursuit. Each one of these drivers has been at the top of the standingsat some point in the season so far, illustrating the close battle with all drivers using Bridgestone tyresas the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship.
This will be the 59thrunning of the British Grand Prix, and the 42ndtime the event has taken place atthe Silverstone track. The circuit is one of the oldest on the calendar and it is characterised by itshigh-speed layout. Although most of the track is high-speed, there is a slower complex before themain straight, which is a breeding ground for tyre graining.
Last year Kimi Raikkonen (Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro) used a medium – medium - hard tyre strategyto win the British Grand Prix by 2.4 seconds from team-mate Felipe Massa. Lewis Hamilton(Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) finished third.
Hirohide Hamashima - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development, said:
What are the challenges of Silverstone?
“Silverstone is one of the more harsh circuits on the calendar, which is why we bring the hardestcompound Potenza tyres from our range. It is a tough circuit for tyres in the sense of the layout andthe track surface, which is one of the more abrasive we use. Graining is always a consideration whencoming into the final complex, and tyre management of this is an important aspect to getting a goodresult. Drivers require good stability from their tyres to give them confidence through the high-speedturns. Good heat and wear resistance are also desirable here.”
What has been learnt from the latest test in Silverstone?
“The medium compound enabled a faster lap time over one lap, and if conditions are similar for theGrand Prix we would expect this to be the preferred tyre for qualifying. The hard compound enabledmore consistent performance. However, if teams and drivers are able to manage the graining, themedium compound could be the preferred option in the race. As teams have now tested here soclose to the Grand Prix weekend, we should see very close lap times as competitors have a goodopportunity to find a good setup and maximise their cars to Silverstone’s requirements.”
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