Canada Preview Quotes: Bridgestone

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "Canada was an extremely rewarding race for Bridgestone last year. Michael claimed Ferrari's 150th win on our tyres and five further Bridgestone runners finished the race in the top ten so I have high hopes for the forthcoming weekend. We are at an important stage of the season now and it is essential that our teams start to rack up the points. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve provides us with a challenging mid-season break from the European circuits and due to the wonderful atmosphere in Montreal it is one that the whole team enjoy attending."

Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager: "The smooth surface at the Canadian circuit provides low grip which means we need a compound from our softer range. Unlike other circuits, however, where degradation and wear are the important factors, heat resistance is our main priority in Montreal. The circuit's long straight and lack of corners means that we can expect high speeds and big braking. In fact, Canada is the second fastest circuit on the F1 calendar (Monza is the fastest). Consequently, the tread construction hits the ground at a very high frequency due to the high revolution of the tyres and this causes high heat generation within the tyres. However, from a compound formulation point of view, one way of reducing heat resistance can also result in loss of grip. We have therefore been faced with the challenge of how to reduce heat resistance in our tyres for Canada but without losing grip."