Check-out Bridgestone prepares for final F1 season

Having entered Formula 1 at the start of the 1997 season, Bridgestone will bow out of the sport at the end of the upcoming campaign after announcing that it will no longer continue as the sport's sole tire supplier, a role it has held since the departure of Michelin at the end of 2006.

After clinching its first F1 race win courtesy of McLaren's 1-2 finish in Melbourne at the start of the 1998 campaign, the Tokyo-based company looks forward to one final year in F1.

"This will be our fourteenth season in Formula 1 and we are anticipating a fantastic year ahead of exciting racing," commented Hiroshi Yasukawa, the Director of Bridgestone Motorsport. "We will be welcoming new teams, the return of Michael Schumacher after three seasons away and the introduction of regulation changes, all of which will play a part in making Formula 1 a fascinating sport to follow this year."

For this season, each driver will once again be required to use two types of tire compound over the course of a Grand Prix distance, with the softer of the two on each weekend being indicated as usual by a green sidewall.

"There are both technical and logistical challenges for Bridgestone in 2010," added Hirohide Hamashima, the company's Director of Motorsport Tire Development. "No refueling means we have modified the tire construction and have all new compounds of dry tires.

"As well as cars which will be approximately 100 kilogram’s heavier at the start of the race, we will see different pit-stop strategies this season and the top ten cars starting with their qualifying tires brings many strategy considerations for teams too. In terms of logistics ,we have new teams and 19 races (the maximum in one season to date, equaling the amount of 2005)." GPUpdate.net