Bridgestone to quit F1

What a great opportunty for the F1 authorities to introduce some competition with different tyre suppliers. You watch them let is slide quietly past and just give a new sole supplier contract to someone else.
 
Perhaps the lack of competition from other suppliers has contributed to Bridgestone withdrawing. There isn't much need for the "intensive development of innovative technologies" when you are the sole tyre supplier and without the yardstick of another supplier to gauge your performance and promote your tyres superiority there would seem to be little commercial benifit either. What point is there in adverstising that the new WDC/WCC uses Bridgestone tyres when they all do.

I agree with FB, perhaps we may see an unlimited number of tyre suppliers back in F1. Firestone, Pirelli, Dunlop, Avon, Michelin and Goodyear have all been in F1 in the past. I wonder which company/companies will be asked to replace Bridgestone?
 
So just 4 years after winning the contract to be sole supplier, Bridgestone are pulling out.

Why is that?

As we all know Michelin withdrew because they did not want to be in Formula One as the sole tyre supplier, so presumably they won't want the contract.

Wouldn't it be ironic if no-one did...

This is the official press release from Bridgestone:

Tokyo (November 2, 2009) - Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) today announced that it will not enter into a new tire supply contract with the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1) series; the current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2010 season.

In addressing the impact of the continuing evolution of the business environment on its decision, the company focused on the need to redirect its resources towards the further intensive development of those innovative technologies and strategic products which support the company’s goals and further enhance the company’s reputation as a technology leader.

Over the years, the company has benefited directly from its involvement in Formula One racing. The lessons learned through Bridgestone’s successful participation have translated into innovations that can be applied to the design and manufacture of tires. In addition, its collaboration with F1 has contributed to increased brand awareness and the recognition of Bridgestone as a leader in the global tire industry. Having achieved these goals, Bridgestone is now poised to take its technological and brand building efforts to the next level.

Bridgestone is committed to supporting F1 and the series’ teams through the completion of the 2010 season. The company also expressed its sincere appreciation and gratitude to the management of Formula One, the F1 teams and support staff, and the F1 fans around the world for their enthusiasm and support for Bridgestone over the last 13 years.
Click to expand
http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2009110201.html
 
I had to slip this into one of the tyre threads at some time... Which company is the largest manufacture of rubber tyres in the World? If no one has guessed I will give the answer at 7pm.
 
It's LEGO I believe, FB...

I can't see them reintroducing a tyre war. The move to a single supplier was mainly made for financial reasons - endless tyre testing to the exclusion of all else - and the teams are hardly richer now than they were four years ago. It also makes it easier for the FIA to control cornering speeds.

So, I think it'll go out to tender (or at least it should do, surely?) Which leaves Goodyear, Pirelli as the first obvious options, then somebody like Kumho or Yokohama as an outside bet?

(actually, they're probably subsidiary brands of Bridgestone aren't they? I'm not sure...)
 
GM said:

It's LEGO I believe, FB...
Click to expand

Well done GM, help yourself to a Rich Tea biscuit and put your feet up.

On tyre testing, as there is an in-season ban on car developement wouldn't this also extend itself to tyre testing? The tyre companies, as the car manufacturers are, would then be limited to a few 1,000 km in the off season and some time during the race weekend. One problem may be that tyre company 'A' really get's it wrong and the teams using the tyre company 'B' steals a march whilst company 'A' gets it's act together. A bit like the double diffuser thing...
 
FB said:
One problem may be that tyre company 'A' really get's it wrong and the teams using the tyre company 'B' steals a march whilst company 'A' gets it's act together. A bit like the double diffuser thing...
Click to expand

Quite. There's a big safety issue with tyres as well of course - Michelin messed up at Indy even with plenty of testing available; whether they could gather enough data to make tyres that were going to be durable enough and competitive enough at all events in the pre-season testing window - with temperatures somewhat different to those that will be experienced during the season - is questionable.
 
How about going retro, they always introduce new rules to slow down cars, make the new tyres and wheels of wood supplied by Morgan :D

The FIA are always talking about being green, tyres do not get any more sustainable than timber.
 
Brogan said:
So just 4 years after winning the contract to be sole supplier, Bridgestone are pulling out.

Why is that?

As we all know Michelin withdrew because they did not want to be in Formula One as the sole tyre supplier, so presumably they won't want the contract.

Wouldn't it be ironic if no-one did...

This is the official press release from Bridgestone:

Tokyo (November 2, 2009) - Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) today announced that it will not enter into a new tire supply contract with the FIA Formula One World Championship (F1) series; the current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2010 season.

In addressing the impact of the continuing evolution of the business environment on its decision, the company focused on the need to redirect its resources towards the further intensive development of those innovative technologies and strategic products which support the company’s goals and further enhance the company’s reputation as a technology leader.

Over the years, the company has benefited directly from its involvement in Formula One racing. The lessons learned through Bridgestone’s successful participation have translated into innovations that can be applied to the design and manufacture of tires. In addition, its collaboration with F1 has contributed to increased brand awareness and the recognition of Bridgestone as a leader in the global tire industry. Having achieved these goals, Bridgestone is now poised to take its technological and brand building efforts to the next level.

Bridgestone is committed to supporting F1 and the series’ teams through the completion of the 2010 season. The company also expressed its sincere appreciation and gratitude to the management of Formula One, the F1 teams and support staff, and the F1 fans around the world for their enthusiasm and support for Bridgestone over the last 13 years.
Click to expand
http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2009110201.html
Click to expand
Imagine that, a tyre company that can't even spell the word..
 
FB said:
What a great opportunty for the F1 authorities to introduce some competition with different tyre suppliers. You watch them let is slide quietly past and just give a new sole supplier contract to someone else.
Click to expand

That wouldn't be at all like them... :thinking:
 
Like I posted earlier, what if no-one wants the contract...


P.S. I've merged this with the Bridgestone thread as it's all related.
 
It's not really much of a surprise is it? What cudos is there in claiming you have supplied the tyres to the F1 championship winning car and driver if you are the only supplier?

In the Autosport article it states Bridgestone won 156 of the 223 Grands Prix entered but how many of those are since Michelin pulled out? I wonder what Jean Todt's position on this will be? Hopefully he will have a more realistic approcah to the governace of F1 and realise that to try and standardise everything is simply foolish.
 
FB said:

I wonder what Jean Todt's position on this will be?
Click to expand

He seems to have been very quiet about everything, at least Ari laid down his chips before the election. How you can fairly get voted in without announcing any policies seems absurd to me.

Anyway FB, mentioned LEGO tyres earlier, maybe at this rate.....
 
Hmmm any one care to guess how you can show how great your tyres are if you are the only supplier. What you really need is several different tyre suppliers so that you can really see if yours makes the difference.

Now that would be a radical idea.
 
cider_and_toast said:
Hmmm any one care to guess how you can show how great your tyres are if you are the only supplier.
Click to expand

But that's just it, isn't it? You are in F1, hence you are the best; but you never get called on it! And you get all the advertising potential of the circuits and cars. Win! Win! Win!
 
teabagyokel said:
cider_and_toast said:
Hmmm any one care to guess how you can show how great your tyres are if you are the only supplier.
Click to expand

But that's just it, isn't it? You are in F1, hence you are the best; but you never get called on it! And you get all the advertising potential of the circuits and cars. Win! Win! Win!
Click to expand

Except that you'll keep getting screwed by the FIA and FOCA.
 

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