Bridgestone debating over tyre problem

Out of request by the Formula One teams, Bridgestone is currently working on a solution to the current front and rear tyre proportion problem, with it being a narrower tread profile for the fronts. Because seeing how grooves were removed, the increase in the contract patch for the front tyres increased more in proportion to the rears, thus giving a front load bias.

As head of motorsport tyre development for Bridgestone, Hirohide Hamashima said: "We are discussing it with the FIA. We are undecided at the moment, but the idea is for a narrower front tyre, as the teams require Bridgestone to make the cars balanced. In the winter we tested a 2010 prototype tyre, a bit narrower, which made the car balance better than the current tyres. But it was not narrow enough for 2010 because they have to use KERS, so they asked us to think about that."

"At the moment, we have proposed an even narrower front tyre. A wider rear tyre is much more expensive, though, because we would have to revise the machinery and other things; we had narrower fronts in 1997, so we already have the machines to do that."