US GP: Bridgestone preview

Bridgestone eager to build on Canada success

After a double podium success in Canada for Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, the Bridgestone Motorsport team eagerly packed up its equipment on Sunday night in preparation for the quick move to Formula One's next stop at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway this coming weekend (June 19).

The 4.192km circuit combines part of the legendary Indy 500 oval with a demanding in field circuit giving tyre manufacturers a unique challenge in F1's 19-race calendar. Ferrari's dynamic duo took a resounding one-two finish at the US Grand Prix last year and after a steady improvement in their car-tyre package over the past couple of races, will be looking to secure another big points haul this weekend.

Jordan Grand Prix and the Minardi F1 teams are also hoping to keep steadily progressing. In fact, Minardi scored a point at Indianapolis last year and will be hoping for a repeat performance.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport:

"Ferrari's podium finishes in Canada have been a big motivator for the Bridgestone Motorsport team, both the staff on the road and in the UK and Japan."

"Historically Bridgestone runners have performed well at the Indianapolis circuit and we are hoping that using our detailed knowledge of the track, we can build on last weekend's results to give our teams a mid-season boost. We are looking forward to another thrilling race and hope to give all those loyal Bridgestone/Firestone fans something to cheer about."

Tyres for Indianapolis

Bridgestone Motorsport's Potenza Formula One tyres will arrive from the Tokyo production facility by air freight this week in preparation for this weekend's Indianapolis Grand Prix. They will comprise of four grooved dry weather specifications, one wet and one extreme wet weather specification.

Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager:

"The Indianapolis formula one circuit is quite unique with its high speed oval section followed by a very low speed infield section. At the end of the main straight, cars reach nearly 350km/hr, making heat durability a key issue at Indianapolis. The infield, however, has a series of tight corners which slow the cars down significantly."

"The whole track has a relatively smooth surface and therefore needs compounds from the softer end of the scale to be competitive. Sections of the circuit have been resurfaced since last year but have been "diamond ground" to avoid any change in the nature of the track."

"This has been confirmed by our colleagues at Bridgestone/Firestone North America who have extensive experience of this circuit having recently completed a successful Indy 500. The high speed sections of the circuit, however, can cause high tyre wear so we shall need to think carefully about wear durability. Good grip and wear balance will also be necessary."

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