Bridgestone’s green tyre hypocrisy
Those green rings will be making a return on slick tyres this year
A little over a month ago I wrote an article called Four crucial things F1 fans must be told during races in 2009.
Today Bridgestone has announced how it will distinguish between its different types of tyres, which was one of the four things on that list:
The method of distinguishing between the two compounds on event will be through means of green bands painted on the edges of the tyre sidewalls of the softer tyres at a race. This marking allows the compounds to be visually distinguishable by fans at the circuit and those watching on television. The green colour has been chosen to show Bridgestone’s continued support of the FIA’s Make Cars Green campaign.
This is good news: fans won’t be in the dark about which driver is using which tyres, as happened at the start of 2007.
But painting the tyres green to show some vague sign of “support” for efforts to improve the efficiency of cars is lamentable greenwash – just as it was when it first used them at Fuji last year.
It is blatant hypocrisy from Bridgestone. If they hadn’t pushed for a rule effectively making it compulsory for drivers to change tyres during a race, not only would the distinction between compounds be unnecessary, but the cars could do the entire race difference on a single set of rubber (as they did in 2005) saving hundreds of tyres. That would be a genuine contribution to making F1 less wasteful. This is just window-dressing.
Whatever you think of using F1 as a means of promoting environmental awareness and developing green technologies, I can’t see how either side of the debate can be happy with Bridgestone’s green tyres.
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gabal said on 27th February 2009, 8:17
I don’t find it illogical, it helps with transparency of F1 and teams tactics…
ajokay said on 27th February 2009, 9:11
They they had more than one tyre manufacturer, then none of this would even have happened. I’d like to see it to that teams can run with tyres made by whoever they want, like they’ve done in the past, with Goodyear battling Michelin, Pirelli, Dunlop, and even some Avons thrown in there.
Adrian said on 27th February 2009, 11:22
Totally agree… Competition between tyre suppliers is what you need, not a stupid green line on the tyres…
(BTW I’m not against the line on the tyre as a way of marking them, but it would be nice if the teams’ could choose a colour to suit their livery – the only car that green would work on is last year’s Honda)
Sri said on 27th February 2009, 12:50
@ajokay
I second the motion…
Mr. Mosley, i think it is the time for you to say…
“Passed!”
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 28th February 2009, 8:48
I understand why people want lots of tyre manufacturers in the sport but once you allow it cornering speeds will go through the roof, causing all kinds of complications for safety, cost of competition and the quality of the racing. If having one tyre supplier means we get to keep slicks and have close racing then it’s a necessary evil.
lee cambell said on 27th February 2009, 11:37
its not just the tyre situation thats just plain crazy its most of the rules and changes in f1 this year and for many years,Its about time bernie and mosely crawled back under the rock from which they came.
PJA said on 27th February 2009, 13:24
I agree completely with the article.
What idiot thought that painting a green stripe on a tyre with such a short life span to promote green issues would be a good idea? Also Fuji proved that the green stripes were harder to see than the white stripes, and as others have pointed out the green stripes don’t work in the looks department either.
I can’t think of any reasons why they should have the green stripes.
ruudtobz said on 27th February 2009, 13:40
the renaults are going to look like mish mashed dog food using the softer tyres.
at least they’re not hypocrites like bridgestone
i don’t think racing in particular will be green. they can try, but i never imagined having f1, motogp, rally cars, nascar, to have solar panels charging their kers, they still use fuel, and even if this fuel is blended with ethanol. its still not “green”
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 28th February 2009, 8:49
I really am stunned the teams have allowed this – there are few liveries on the grid this isn’t going to cause a horrendous clash with.
manatcna said on 27th February 2009, 23:44
I’m happy with green paint on the tyres, but let’s face it, B/S aren’t going to change things just to suit us – after all, we’re only the mugs.
Yorricksfriend said on 28th February 2009, 3:05
Surely the green wont be on the surface of the tyres? It’ll rub off in a few laps and it looks hideous – seriously I’d rather be in the dark about what tyre a driver is using than having to look at that!
Yorricksfriend said on 28th February 2009, 3:13
Here I missed the word ‘sidewalls’ my bad, still
Gman said on 2nd March 2009, 5:38
Indeed, everyone seems to be making an effort to “go green” today, and there are so many other things these companies can do to send that message. The color isn’t going to look very good on the cars, so I am not very eager to see it roll out on the grid.
Just one thing Keith- if the cars are allowed to use just one set of tires, after refuling is banned in 2010, would there be any reason for cars to pit during a race? I’m not the biggest fan of pit starategy but I think it dose add something to a race.