Bridgestone Becomes Official Formula One Tire Supplier
Bridgestone Motorsport announced last week a three-year deal with the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA) to be the exclusive tire (or tyre, depending on where you’re from) supplier for the Formula One World Championship. While the news was released in show-stopping fashion, it was really more of a formality.
“Becoming the ‘Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship’ is a prestigious honour for Bridgestone and we await the start of the 2008 season with great anticipation. Our participation in Formula One is a core element of our company’s expansion and development and this is an exciting step for us as a company.” said Hiroshi Yasukawa, the Director of Bridgestone Motorsport.
The Japanese tire maker has been the sole provider of tires for Formula One since last year, when Michelin (their only rival) pulled out of the sport at the end of the 2006 season. The tire deal prevents other companies, such as Goodyear and Pirelli, from returning to F1 and joins the institution of a common engine control module as part of the recent restrictions to “level the playing field.” Sounds more like reducing competition really, yet another step towards turning F1 into a boring SPEC type class to us.