|
Bridgestone Makes The Difference. |
| Whilst watching the British Grand
Prix on Sunday, the importance of the correct tyre choice was made
totally obvious. Michael Schumacher was able at one point to
lap three seconds faster that arch rival Juan Pablo Montoya.
So what was it that made the difference? Engine power
certainly but the choice of which piece of rubber actually ends up
transmitting that power from the engine is more crucial given the
changing conditions on the day.
We asked Jordan and Bridgestone about their tyres and the
differences they can make to performance on the day.
With thanks to Helen Temple at Jordan and Sarah French at
Bridgestone
|
| How many
tyre choices are available to the team prior to race day?
|
The regulations allow us to take
2 specifications of dry weather (grooved) tyre and 3 rain tyres. The
specs are exactly the same for Jordan as they are for all
Bridgestone's 5 teams.
|
| What
factors will influence the choice of tyre for qualifying and the
race? |
First, Bridgestone decides which
specs will be taken to each race and, of course, this choice is made
for the particular type of circuit and weather conditions that we
can expect, so the teams can be assured that both specs are
suitable. During Friday practice, they will usually run back-to-back
laps to compare the 2 dry specs. One of the main factors that
influences that decision is lap time - basically, they are looking
for the quicker tyre. But they are also looking for a consistent
performance throughout the race and a tyre that will not suffer too
much degradation. Finally, a particular driver may simply feel more
comfortable with one spec over the other. The spec that is run in
qualifying must be used in the race as well.
|
| What is
the difference between hard and soft tyres in terms of performance? |
Generally speaking, a softer
compound tyre will give more grip and therefore be faster but may
wear more rapidly; a harder compound may have better heat durability
and degrade less.
|
| How much
grip is lost between the older slick and the grooved tyre? |
This is difficult to estimate but
in a comparison between lap times when slicks were used in 1997 and
last year's lap times on grooved tyres, we can see that grooved
tyres are faster at a number of circuits. Of course, this isn't all
down to tyres - it's engine, chassis and aerodynamic developments as
well. In short, it seems that current grooved tyres have almost the
same or even better grip levels than 97 slicks. However, new slicks
made now and run on the new cars would probably reduce lap times by
a further 1.5 seconds.
|
| Are the
aerodynamics of the car affected by having the tyres not surrounded
by bodywork (as opposed to a road car for example)? |
It's hard to say because we
have no experience of this in F1 to be able to compare. However,
Bridgestone does make its tyres to assist with the aerodynamics of
the car. You may have noticed that Bridgestone's F1 tyres have more
rounded shoulders compared to our competitor whose tyres are more
'square'. McLaren, in particular, have apparently noticed the
difference aerodynamically in their car having changed from our
tyres to our competitor's this year.
|
| What is
the cost of a set of tyres for the EJ12? |
The cost of a set of Bridgestone
Formula 1 tyres is estimated at £3,000. I can't tell you what it
costs Jordan however!
|
| What
happens to a tyre after use? |
They are all returned to
Bridgestone Motorsport's HQ at Langley, Berkshire, then transported
by road to a power station in the North West to be burnt as fuel. A
sample is also sent to Japan for analysis at our technical centre in
Tokyo.
|
| How does
an F1 tyre differ from the tyres for my car? |
This is the speccy techie bit!
Formula 1 tyres
|
Road car tyres
|
|
Size:
265/55 R13 (front);
325/55 R13 (rear)
Note: the first figure relates to the width of the tyre when
facing the car, the second figure is the diameter of the tyre,
the R figure is the bead (rim) radius). |
Size:
195/65 R15
Example: Bridgestone Turanza |
|
Weight:
9kg for a front, 11kg for a rear |
Weight:
10-11kg |
|
Pressure: 17-21 psi |
Pressure: 28-34 psi |
|
Longevity: maximum
200km |
Longevity: 35,000km
on average
Note: depends on type of car, style of driving, road surface
etc. |
|
Compound: generally
much softer to give better grip at higher speed |
Compound: durability
is more important so tyre lasts longer and is suitable for most
conditions |
|
Construction: the
parts that go into a tyre’s construction – carcass, bead, tread
etc – are the same, but their make-up and design is different
due to the different functions they must fulfill |
Construction: see
left |
|
Pattern: dry tyres
have 4 grooves arranged symmetrically across the tyre |
Pattern: much more
complex pattern for dry and wet conditions |
|
Preparation: tyres
are heated in blankets to 90C before running |
Preparation: no
heating before use; the design and compound are different to
compensate for starting cold |
|
Function: specific
tyres for dry, damp and wet conditions |
Function: one tyre
for all conditions; in addition comfort, noise and economy are
taken into account |
|
Cost:
about £3,000 per set
of 4 |
Cost:
approximately £200
for 4 |
|
Production:
Bridgestone makes 50,000 Formula 1 tyres at its Tokyo technical
centre |
Production:
Bridgestone makes millions of road car tyres at 45 factories in
many different countries across four continents |
|
Market
share: in Formula 1,
Bridgestone supplies five out of 11 teams |
Market
share: latest
figures (2000) show Bridgestone is the world’s biggest tyre
manufacturer with 19.8 per cent of the world market |
|
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