Bridgestone to run 'green' tyre at Fuji

The Bridgestone tyres used by all F1 teams will carry green stripes in the rubber's grooves throughout the Fuji weekend. One stripe will be left white on the softer compound to differentiate it from the harder tyres.

The green tyres were unveiled at a press event in Tokyo today, and were displayed on Ferrari and McLaren's cars.

"We hope that the launch of the Make Cars Green tyre will draw public attention to the many environmental initiatives in and around Formula One," said Bridgestone CEO Shoshi Arakawa.

"Environmental preservation is at the centre of our work at the Bridgestone Group and we hope that this collaboration with the FIA will help to spread this ethos worldwide."

F1 is set to adopt more environmentally-friendly technologies in the future, starting with the Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems that will be introduced in 2009.

"Since it first launched I've been happy to help promote the very positive messages of the Make Cars Green campaign," said McLaren's Lewis Hamilton.

"It is a subject that goes far beyond racing. The car is an incredibly positive thing and I think the messages of the campaign help to show us that we can all choose to drive in a greener way.

"The new Make Cars Green tyre that all the teams will be running on in Fuji is a great way to promote the campaign and a real first for Formula One. The sport can also help in other ways, especially with the launch of new energy efficient technologies next season."