“From 2001 to 2006 we battled hard with Michelin,” says Hamashima. In 2001 Michelin entered Formula 1 as a rival tire supplier to Bridgestone, and a period of intense competition followed. We had two seasons where we could refine all our practices and methodology before the next challenge came.” “This was a big challenge for us, but Bridgestone responded well. “Our initial entry to Formula 1 came a year earlier than initially planned and after just two seasons in the sport we had to supply the entire field,” explains Peter Grzelinski Bridgestone Motorsport Service manager. Goodyear left Formula 1 at the end of 1998, leaving Bridgestone as the sole supplier. We even came very close to a win with Damon Hill in the Arrows Yamaha at Hungary so this was a very good debut for us.” “We scored points in our first race and the first Bridgestone podium came in our second race. We entered the sport in 1997 against a very experienced competitor in Goodyear, who had contested so many races before, yet we were able to be competitive in our first season, even when most of the front-running teams were running on our rival’s products. In charge of the technical development over Bridgestone’s 14 years in F1 is director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tire Development, Hirohide Hamashima: “Formula 1 was a big challenge for our company.

Next year will be very different for me and for all of my Bridgestone Motorsport colleagues.”īridgestone’s primary reason for its F1 entry was to enhance its brand awareness, and for this to be effective, Bridgestone’s Formula One tires had to demonstrate strong performance. I have attended well over 200 races myself and have made so many good relationships with the participants in this wonderful sport. “In this time, Bridgestone has grown enormously as a company, with Formula One showcasing our company’s strength and qualities on a world stage to an enormous audience. “I have been involved in Bridgestone’s motorsport operations since our very first limited entry in the 19 Japanese Grands Prix and pushed hard for our full time entry, which finally came in 1997.

“Abu Dhabi is likely to be an emotional weekend for everyone at Bridgestone Motorsport as this will be our final race,” says Hiroshi Yasukawa, director of Bridgestone Motorsport.

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