Bridgestone's last GP

The Abu Dhabi GP which will close the 2010 season will also be the last race where the cars will be fitted with Japanese rubber. Bridgestone will leave the F1 at the end of this season, having won 175 victories, 168 pole positions and eleven Drivers' and Manufacturers' Championships in 242 GPs.

Hirohide Hamashima, director of tire development at Bridgestone Motorsport, recalls that the manufacturer's beginnings in the discipline were not simple. “ F1 was a huge challenge for our company. We entered the discipline full-time in 1997 against Goodyear who was a very experienced competitor, having competed in many races (before us). But we were able to be competitive from our first season, even if the top teams were running on our competitor's tires. We managed to get into the points in our first race and get on the podium in the second »

The highlight of Bridgestone in F1 will remain the duel opposing it to Michelin, present in the premier discipline from 2001 to 2006, before the French manufacturer withdrew from the discipline, after winning two titles against four for the Japanese manufacturer. “ Our engineers in Japan and those present on the circuit were dedicated only to victory “, remembers Hirohide Hamashima. “ We learned so much during this time. »

The end of the season will remain a moving moment for the staff of the Japanese manufacturer, which puts an end to a collaboration that began in 1997. The director of Bridgestone's sports division, Hiroshi Yasukawa, also took the opportunity to remember the supplier's beginnings. of tires in the discipline. “ I was involved in the operations of the Bridgestone sports division from the very beginning, in 1976 and 1977, at the Japanese GPs, and I was fully invested in our full commitment, which finally arrived in 1997. »

The director of Bridgestone Motorsport is now preparing to turn an important page in the company?s history. “ Bridgestone was truly won over after its involvement in this fabulous discipline. We hope that everyone enjoys this very last Grand Prix in the best possible way. »