Bridgestone consider more tyre variation in 2009

Bridgestone, the sole supplier of tyres in Formula One, is considering widening the variations of compounds offered to teams during a Grand Prix weekend next season, according to 'autosport'. This action would be done in a further effort to improve the spectacle throughout the weekend.

The current situation has Bridgestone providing two different compounds, but each one only one step apart from the other, such as soft and super soft, or medium and hard. But this new idea of more variation would allow a combination of the soft and hard compounds, a two step difference.

"We are thinking about selecting two positions difference (in the compound selection)," said Hirohide Hamashima about Bridgestone's compound plans for next season. "Of course compound position between slick and groove will be different, because the slicks will be softer than grooved tyres.

"But we will bring two types of compound for each event again. And because currently everyone complains that the difference between the two is too small, we are thinking about what shall we do."

But a problem lies in which one compound may suit a certain circuit, but the other compound available might not. Which might lead to performance troubles, in addition to forcing all teams to follow an identical tyre strategy. The latter ruining any variation in tyre strategy between teams as their is now.

"We want to take it a little bit wider than currently," he said. "If the difference is too big then maybe the teams complain on Friday, if it's too small they complain on Sunday!"

Hirohide Hamashima is the director of motorsport tyre development at Bridgestone, and believes that this is only one of the few possible tyre options to improve the racing in Formula One for the upcoming season.