Bridgestone and Silverstone…

Silverstone is the destination for this season’s next Grand Prix and it’s a place that’s very close, in many ways, to Bridgestone.

Bridgestone Motorsport has its British base in Langley, just 120 kilometres south of Silverstone, so instead of jumping on a plane from Heathrow airport, most of Bridgestone’s technicians, engineers, PR and marketing staff head up the M1 or M40 motorways for this event.

Silverstone is a circuit with a rich motor sport history. The British Grand Prix has been on the Formula One calendar since the world championship began in 1950, and 42 times it has been held at Silverstone.

However, the 2009 British Grand Prix is the last scheduled at the Northamptonshire circuit, with the event due to head to Donington Park for 2010.

“Silverstone is an interesting circuit and it’s one that holds many memories for me,” says Hirohide Hamashima, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre development.

“It is a classic circuit with long straights and high speed corners. This makes it a fantastic place, not only for the driver, but also for the tyre designer.”

Silverstone is one of the more challenging circuits that Bridgestone visits during the course of the season. Not only is the track layout one which works the tyres hard, the track surface itself is one of the most abrasive on the calendar.

“The track surface is very abrasive and as it is a high speed track with high lateral loads because of the fast corners, the tyres generate a lot of energy over a lap,” explains Hamashima.

“In terms of getting the most from our tyres over a lap there, you need good car balance and aerodynamics for the high speed section and then good mechanical grip for the low speed section before the start-finish straight.”

Silverstone was one of the European venues that Bridgestone visited early in its motorsport history.

“We have a lot of experience of the Silverstone circuit,” says Hamashima. “I first visited the track in 1981 with the Formula Two championship and that’s when we first recognised Silverstone as a severe circuit for tyres.”
Silverstone is also a favourite with many fans. “Before our F1 entry I can remember when Nigel Mansell won at Silverstone,” says Hamashima. “There were all these shouts of ‘Nigel! Nigel! Nigel!

“This had a big impact on me, seeing all these British spectators cheering their hero, and it left a lasting impression.”

Not only does the circuit itself present a challenge, the British weather often plays a part too.

“In terms of our technical development we learnt a lot about the benefits of a good intermediate tyre from our time at this track,” states Hamashima. “The weather here can be very variable so you can have a track which is drying from a downpour and these conditions are good for intermediate tyre use.”

Last year’s British Grand Prix was a case in point. Wet and variable weather meant that only Bridgestone’s wet and intermediate tyres were used.

“In Silverstone last year we saw Lewis Hamilton win by over a minute,” says Hamashima. “It was a race that showed just how important tyre choice can be.”

In terms of logistics, this is one of the easier races for Bridgestone, given the proximity to its Langley base. This facility is a home for Bridgestone Motorsport’s Formula One and GP2 Series technicians and engineers as well as housing PR, promotions, logistical and support staff.

It also houses a lot of Bridgestone Potenza tyres as over 20,000 can be there at any one time.

“Langley is a key factor in Bridgestone Motorsport’s Formula One project,” explains Bridgestone Director, Hiroshi Yasukawa, “and without good distribution and logistics we would not be able to see Formula One races won on our tyres.

“The location of Langley in the shadow of Heathrow airport, as well as having good access to the major road networks, means it is ideally located for freight movement and of course convenient for our staff to be able to fly around the world,” confirms Yasukawa. “However, for the occasion of the British Grand Prix our lorries and staff make their shortest trip of the season.”