Bridgestone predicts challenging slicks

The Japanese tyre manufacturer has been evaluating how much variation to introduce into its slick types for next year, after feeling that the difference between its two compounds at some races this season was not wide enough.

Having confirmed to autosport.com that it met last week's deadline to finalise the specification of tyres, it looks likely that the difference between compounds will be more varied in 2009 - especially in terms of degradation.

Speaking before the final plans had been handed over to the FIA, Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development Hirohide Hamashima said he believed the variation between compounds next year would mean more work for teams.

Once again Bridgestone will produce four different compounds to allow for the varying demands of the season, with two types being taken to each race.

"We will bring two different working range compounds to each race, and there will be a time difference and also a character difference," Hamashima told autosport.com. "The degradation will be different, so it may give the teams some more difficulties."

Hamashima said he expected the degradation difference between the tyres to be quite high, even though single lap performance may well be quite similar.

"The best lap will be very close, but comparing the second lap there will be maybe three tenths or more difference. The softer tyre will degrade very quickly, and the hard one will be more consistent."

It is not clear yet what Bridgestone has decided to do in terms of marking the different types of tyres.

"We are considering the sidewall design or something like that," Hamashima said recently. "It will be on the sidewall design only though, with white paint or a white ring or something like that."

F1's technical regulations confirm that the FIA must have determined the tyre specifications for 2009 no later than September 1.

"Once determined in this way, the specification of the tyres will not be changed during the championship season without the agreement of all competing teams," states the regulations.