Bridgestone to make surprise F1 exit
There'll be a different name on F1 tyres in 2011
F1′s exclusive tyre supplier Bridgestone has made a surprise announcement it will quit the sport at the end of the 2010 season.
This means F1 will have a new tyre supplier from 2011, but there’s no indication yet the FIA may allow the resumption of the ‘tyre war’ by letting in more than one supplier.
A history of controversy
Bridgestone have been in F1 since 1997 and, for better or worse, have had a considerable influence on the sport and its rules.
In 1998 they supported the unpopular move to grooved tyres. Rival manufacturer Goodyear quit the sport after a 24-year stint because they didn’t want the change.
That left Bridgestone as the de facto exclusive tyre supplier in 1999 and 2000, before Michelin returned to the sport in 2001.
The rivalry between the two led to controversy, notably in 2003 when Bridgestone and Ferrari successfully lobbied the FIA to change its rules to make Michelin’s tyres illegal late in the season.
In 2005 the FIA banned tyre changes during races, requiring the cars to run an entire Grand Prix on a single set of tyres. Michelin dominated the championship, winning every race – with one infamous exception. At Indianapolis they suffered a spate of tyre failures and their teams had to withdrew as the FIA refused to make any concessions to allow their teams to race. Just the six Bridgestone-shod cars contested the ‘race’.
The FIA later announced it wished to end the tyre war and bring in an exclusive tyre supplier. Michelin declared they did not want to be in the sport without a rival manufacturer to compete against and did not put in a tender for supply. They pulled out of the sport at the end of 2006 having won both of the last two championships with Renault.
That left Bridgestone as the only tyre supplier in 2007, and they began the first year of their three-year exclusive contract in 2008. This year the FIA finally ditched grooved tyres, and Bridgestone’s current deal expires at the end of 2010.
In the meantime Bridgestone encouraged the FIA to bring in rules requiring the drivers to use two different tyre compounds in each race. The rule came in for some criticism earlier this year as it forced drivers to use unsuitable tyres in some races. They used the green stripes intended to mark the different compounds to promote their “Make Tyres Green” initiative.
Why did Bridgestone quit?
Announcing the decision Bridgestone Motorsport’s director Hiroshi Yasukawa said:
The decision made by the board of directors comes after considerable and lengthy evaluations and has been based on the company’s need to redirect its resources towards further intensive development of innovative technologies.
Hiroshi Yasukawa
In short, they no longer felt the marketing benefit of being in F1 was worth the cost involved in supplying the tyres. With up to four more teams in F1 next year, they are facing a 40% increase in their annual supply demand, and it’s doubtful they were going to get 40% more exposure in exchange for it. And that’s before one considers the additional cost of an extra two races.
The economics of tyre supply increasingly seems to favour having more than one supplier and bringing back the tyre war. But doing that would create a new problem as the governing body would no longer be able to use tyre compounds to limit cornering speeds.
The exclusive tyre suply is therefore likely to stay. But whoever pitches for the tender to supply F1 tyres from 2011, they will want a much better deal than Bridgestone had.
Bridgestone
Mark said on 2nd November 2009, 15:20
“..would create a new problem as the governing body would no longer be able to use tyre compounds to limit cornering speeds.”
Surely that is a good thing?
More mechanical grip + more downforce limiting regulations = unchanged cornering speed + more overtaking.
Everybody wins?
MinusTwo said on 2nd November 2009, 21:02
Agree. Especially that any decision on tires must be looked at in conjunction with aerodynamics.
Simon said on 2nd November 2009, 15:59
I expect the FiA will tender for a single supplier; unless nobody suitable comes forward. Realistically, only Goodyear, Continental and Pirelli are contenders; they’re the only companies with enough resource to do the job properly. Michelin are unlikely to want to come back as a single supplier.
F1Yankee said on 2nd November 2009, 20:43
dunlop?
Carl said on 2nd November 2009, 16:08
Sure demand will increase 40% next season, but they could ask the FIA to remove the silly “must use two different compounds” rule to simplify things.
ciaran said on 2nd November 2009, 16:08
but other rival companies like yokohoma with the advan brand might give it a try.personally i want to see hankook or toyo tyres.it would spice up things.
Daffid said on 2nd November 2009, 16:12
I’m expecting an announcement from the FIA that they’re going to tender out the whole pitstop process to Kwik-Fit…
Kaity said on 2nd November 2009, 16:38
I wonder what would happen if in the current economic climate no major tyre manufacturer decided they wanted to do it?
We could see tyres from some chesp Korean firm like they sell at Kwik-Fit hehe
Icthyes said on 2nd November 2009, 16:48
Michelin v Goodyear tyre war please, and make sure there’s a 7/6 distribution, with distribution shared amongst the top 4 teams from 2010 (i.e. 2/2) – enough non-driver parameters determine the result already!
Xanathos said on 2nd November 2009, 16:50
Sorry Keith, but I have the impression that your article is a bit anti-Bridgestone, but a great summary nevertheless. I think Bridgestone has done a pretty good job supplying tires over the last years.
In my opinion, the switch to a single tyre manufacturer was one of the best rule changes over the last decade. During the Bridgestone vs. Michelin days, there was too much focus on the tires, almost turning F1 in a Bridgestone vs Michelin racing series, ultimately resulting in the Indy fiasco (which certainly wasn’t Bridgestone’s fault). Testing during these years was mainly tyre evaluation, thuis creating huge costs for the teams. Two different compounds during the race made sense too, because it put an additional element to race strategy and it will give us super-fast pit-stops next year. I don’t think it’s been any bad at all…
F1Yankee said on 2nd November 2009, 20:32
you’re absolutely right. with such a high level of parity in the field today, the sport would be nothing but Tire A versus Tire B, car builders be damned.
another consequence would be the return of unfair optimization. bridgestone built tires to suit ferrari, ferrari built cars around the bridgestones, and anyone else running those tires would suffer (although in 2005 those teams weren’t going to be competitive no matter what). the same exact thing happened when subaru was dominating wrc – the few other teams on pirellis were at the back of the pack on subaru’s tires.
K said on 2nd November 2009, 22:17
Having different tyre manufacturers was one of the things that afforded weaker teams an advantage (when conditions suited their tyre) which I think is sadly missed.
I know what you’re saying about the tyre war though. A development freeze on tyre compounds could stop that. Personally I would like to see more than two tyre manufacturers in F1.
Also the two compound per race rule is an aberration. Teams should be able to use the compound that best suits their car/strategy, the freedom to choose is what makes strategy more interesting. Having a mandatory requirement means that strategies are less flexible, less reactive and less dynamic.
F1Yankee said on 2nd November 2009, 23:08
yeah, the 2 compound rule is just silly. how about 1/3 soft, 1/3 medium and 1/3 hard tires, use as you see fit?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 3rd November 2009, 22:32
It wasn’t intended as anti-Bridgestone but I do think Michelin got a raw deal.
Rob Wilson said on 2nd November 2009, 17:15
WHAT!? *Shocked Face!*
Hallard said on 2nd November 2009, 17:18
This may not be realistic, but I would like to see competing tire manufaturers returning to the sport. But I would like it to be the team’s choice on a race-by-race basis which tire brand they want to use, rather than being contracted to a tire supplier for the whole season. That way we could have a tire war that wouldnt also decide the championship.
-A- said on 2nd November 2009, 17:21
That certainly comes as an unexpected move to me. Interesting.
F1Yankee said on 2nd November 2009, 20:14
you’re implying there were concessions to be made. give me a break, keith. if the fia suddenly decided to alter a track, or the rules, the morning before a race into an unteseted configuration to suit the inadequacies of some of the participants, there would be absolutely no integrity in that action nor the sport.
“oops, my team showed up with lousy shoes. can we have a 1-man advantage and smaller goals?”
K said on 2nd November 2009, 21:57
FIA and Integrity…
That said you have a fair point. If a football team turned up with say inadequate studs to the point where they couldn’t run without slipping they’d have to forfeit the match simple as that.
Spencer said on 2nd November 2009, 20:40
@ Carl
Bridgestone introduced the silly two compound rule!!! They were so sure that once they became sole supplier, no one would talk about them any more. So the stupid rule was pushed through to keep us talking about tyres….. yawn
F1 is a war. Let the teams go to the supplier they want and buy the tyres and compounds they want to run.
alan said on 2nd November 2009, 20:41
Good that they are leaving – hy – each team before used to develop their cars in hand with their preffered tyre supplier – that sometimes gave them that extra edge on different tracks – sometimes it worked other times it didnt – but it made a bit of unpredictablness in F1 – apart from the farce at indie – mainly because the FIA and the dwarf didnt try and come up with a interm solution of adding another chicane? – to slow down the problem corner – how unusual.
Bring back the small front and huge rear tyre? – wedge shape again – understeer and oversteer – great to watch but could this lot cope?? – just a bit of oversteer and they head for the barriers – controlled drift – much used by old racers of the thirties and early fifties to slow and control direction – crossplies then of course
The Sri Lankan said on 2nd November 2009, 20:49
shucks! hope we dont have to refer to using grooved wooden tires