Bridgestone happy with new tire

Bridgestone, Formula 1's sole tire manufacturer, was pleased with the general performance of its products as its final season in the sport began in Bahrain at the weekend. With most cars making one pit-stop over the course of the 49-lap race, no problems were reported with tires. With the technical regulations having stated since 2007 that all cars must use two types of tire compound over the course of a Grand Prix distance, Bridgestone's Medium and Super Soft tires were available at Sakhir.

Today we were very happy with tire performance," commented Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone's Director of Motorsport Tire Development. "This was the first race under these new regulations so no-one knew exactly what to expect.

"Sebastian Vettel did a great job to manage his Super Softs at the beginning of the race, making the same set he used for qualifying last the longest of all the front runners. Fernando Alonso drove a very intelligent race for his win and was able to set the fastest lap near the end, showing he had managed his tires very well.

"Tire management, as expected, was very important in this first race with no refueling. The cars and drivers which were more forgiving to their tires were rewarded with more durable performance."

However, Hamashima does not hide the fact that that issues could be discovered as the season progresses. "This was only the first of 19 races this season," he continued. "I think we all have a lot to learn about this season's best tire strategies and it will be fascinating unlocking the secrets for the best performance in the races ahead."