Pirelli will take Bridgestone's place after 2010

[timbo]

http://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/ne ... 10201.html

I wonder whether Michelin would come back. F1 may be left with Kumho or something




Mod note: It used to be named "Who will take Bridgestone's place after 2010?".

[ISLAMATRON]

wow, very interesting

Without a tire war you would think BS would at least break even in F1(taking into account the Marketing value)

Its not like they are having to develop new tires constantly. And now there are more teams to supply, so more money to be made.


Who will be taking over and how will it affect the racing?

[WhiteBlue]

The conditions of the contract were pretty appalling for a proud company like Bridgestone, plus they were negotiated at the height of the economic boom. So Bridgestone might just terminate them to get into a new ball game all together. BTW the supply is foc and money paid on top.

With a new (French) leadership at the FIA Michelin could make a come back. I would like to see Goodyear make a come back as well. No idea how they are doing these days. Certainly a tyre war isn't something most F1 people would appreciate in a cost cutting climate.

[Jersey Tom]

Its not like they are having to develop new tires constantly.

Don't be too sure about that.

As for Michelin, to hell with em.

[noname]

I wonder whether Michelin would come back. F1 may be left with Kumho or something

Michelin left F1 as they did not want to be a sole supplier, they wanted competition. For the same reason they've decided to quit MotoGP.

I guess we will not see Michelin again in F1 as long as single tire supplier will be in place.

[megz]

Bridgestone, Formula One's sole tyre supplier, announced on Monday that it will be departing Formula One after the 2010 season. The Japanese company has been the only tyre manufacturer involved in the sport for three seasons although the Monday morning news in Japan confirms that F1 is now in search of a new supplier.

Having made its full-time Formula One debut in 1997 and won its first race with McLaren and Mika Häkkinen in Australia a year later, Bridgestone has been in competition with both Goodyear and Michelin during its time in Formula One but become the official sole supplier of tyres in 2008, effectively taking the role a season early after French marque Michelin pulled the plug at the end of 2006.

Monday's news confirms that F1 is now on the hunt for a new tyre supplier and has a full season to find one.

'It is with deep regret that Bridgestone Motorsport confirms that at 10.00am (Japan standard time) today, the Bridgestone Corporation announced its decision to not enter into a new tyre supply contract with the FIA Formula One World Championship series,' reads a statement from Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport.

'The current contract is set to expire at the end of the 2010 season. The decision made by the Board of Directors of Bridgestone comes after considerable and lengthy evaluations and has been based on the company's need to redirect its resources towards the further intensive development of innovative technologies and strategic products. While we understand and respect the reasons for this decision, it has nevertheless come as a great disappointment.

Bridgestone's relationship with the FIA Formula One World Championship stretches beyond being a tyre supplier. Formula One has been of strategic importance to Bridgestone in developing its technologies, raising the company's brand awareness and providing its strategic business units around the globe with promotional and marketing tools that are intrinsically linked to our company's core products.'

Bridgestone's F1 journey will come to an end next year

The statement continues to explain how the company was honoured to be awarded the three-year contact of being F1's sole tyre supplier and thanks commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone, the teams and those who have followed the progress of the company over the course of the past 13 years.

'I would also like to thank the staff of the Bridgestone Motorsport team for their professionalism, dedication and hard work, and for their passion for excellence,' Yasukawa continued. 'It remains only to reiterate that Bridgestone continues to be wholly committed to the provision of safe tyres of the highest quality to the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2010 and to the running of its tyre servicing operation at the highest level.'

http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2009/11/ ... fter-2010/

Well that's never a good sign. Will Michelin come back, developing their F2 slicks or will Cooper or Good Year step in from A1GP and IRL knowledge?

[Jersey Tom]

Michelin left F1 as they did not want to be a sole supplier, they wanted competition. For the same reason they've decided to quit MotoGP.

Or, a good excuse for not wanting to shell out the $$$ for a sole supplier contract.

[Giblet]

Michelin is just a corporation, and if they decide that F1 looks appealing, they will easily justify it. A comment about not wanting to be a single tire supplier for one series is easily overturned.

"We at Michelin feel that we need to realign the brand in a more synergistic way that works with the current economic state. This will add value for our shareholders, and help push the Michelin brand back to the forefront of international motor racing."

See? That was easy.

[Belatti]

Michelin wont come back...

Goodyear wont like to pay what Bernie expects...


so dont forget Pirelli

[Jersey Tom]

Pirelli? Junk.

It will be interesting to see how it goes though.

[Giblet]

Yokohama?

They have been supplying junior racing series for years, sell a lot of tires, have a performance image, and some of the stickier street tires.

We need the two threads about this merged.

[Scotracer]

Nankang!

[Confused_Andy]

Kumho - Probability, they're big in rallying...

Whether they have the expertise or logistics is another matter.


Avon?

[RacingManiac]

So I am guessing the car performance will continually be shaky for 2011....inevitably some will get more right than others again....looks like 2010 and 2011 maybe as hard to predict as 2009 was...

[modbaraban]

Michelin left F1 as they did not want to be a sole supplier, they wanted competition. For the same reason they've decided to quit MotoGP.

I guess we will not see Michelin again in F1 as long as single tire supplier will be in place.

They were the monopolist in 2009 FIA GT championship.