Bridgestone’s current motorsport operation owes much of its history to two extremes of the motorsport spectrum – Formula One and karting, and every year at the Spanish Grand Prix, these two disciplines are combined with the Bridgestone F1 Media Karting Challenge.

Coinciding with the start of the ‘European’ Formula One season, this event is presented by Bridgestone Europe and for many this is the highlight of the season. Journalists, photographers and broadcasters get to show how much they really do know about the sport they cover by putting their own reputations on the line – out on track.

“This event pitches the finest examples from the Formula One media against the challenge of the Kartòdrom Catalunya and their racing karts, complete with Bridgestone kart tyres,” says Gert Meylemans, Bridgestone Europe Senior Manager, European Communications Office.

This year will be the 13th running of the event which has seen plenty of action over the years.

“We have seen a lot of great events. In the beginning, teams were very relaxed in their approach, but after a few years we realised that there were organised test sessions and professional team gear was being worn.

“When we realised that professional race drivers were wearing the team gear we changed the rules to say that current or former professional race drivers could only participate as long as they had a media function in the paddock, and this could be a reason why we see a lot more drivers with media functions in F1 these days!”

“There have been some epic battles, with the winning team after 1.5hrs of racing finishing just two seconds ahead of the second placed team. We have seen teams from around the world and a number of teams have come in first or second a couple of times in the past such as: Premier TV, the Irish Mafia and Colombian TV teams.”

Making his debut in the 2009 race was former Super Aguri, BAR Honda and Minardi Formula One driver Anthony Davidson, who is now a commentator for BBC Radio Five Live and their Grand Prix coverage.

“The competition on the kart track is just as fierce as you’ll see in the Grands Prix, and there’s definitely more overtaking in the karting,” says Davidson.

“There’s more than one driver per kart and a big range of driving standards out on track, so in some ways it’s like an endurance race. Just like any motor racing, you’ve got to rely on your team and make sure you get a drive in the best machine, with the best team-mates. The 2009 race was a fantastic experience for me.”

Racing in the same team as Davidson in 2009 was his fellow BBC Radio Five commentator, David Croft, who is able to confirm just how difficult it is behind the wheel.

“Racing is so much easier when you're watching from the commentary box,” says Croft.


“Out on the track every turn of the wheel is scrutinised, every corner fought to the last no matter how good or bad a driver might be. Last year Anthony Davidson told me I was taking some good lines through the chicane. That was his nice way of telling me I was very slow!”

Making his debut in the event in 2010 will be Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development, Hirohida Hamashima.

“The experience of driving a go kart is very intense and karting has always been a good school for young drivers developing motorsport careers,” says Hamashima.

“When you drive a kart, you can directly feel the force generated by the tyres. Karting is a good test of driving skill. However, the weight of the driver is more relevant here. If a driver is heavy, it takes more effort to turn the steering wheel for cornering. Because of this, light drivers certainly have a benefit, especially with easier cornering and better acceleration and braking.

“In terms of the tyres in karting, Bridgestone’s very first participations in Grands Prix at Mount Fuji in 1976 and 1977 provided the rubber compounds which we used for our first karting tyres, and this helped us gain the karting success which continues today.

“A kart tyre is different from a Formula One tyre as it is made with a different construction, but the cornering forces are very high in a kart, just as they are in a Formula One car.”

For the first time ever, this year’s event will have an official starter, with Force India F1 Team driver Vitantonio Liuzzi. Tonio will be showing drivers ‘how it’s done’ by running demonstration laps of the course, before asking drivers to line up for their sprint to their karts.

It’s a traditional Le Mans style start for 2010, with the karts lined up and the first drivers sprinting to the karts and taking off at the beginning of the 1.5 hours of endurance racing.

“We’re expecting this year’s event to be very entertaining for those on track, and those who prefer to adopt a team manager type role from the safety of the canapés and liquid refreshments,” says Meylemans. “It’s going to be very exciting to see who triumphs in 2010.”