France preview quotes: Bridgestone

"With this important news we can now plan ahead for the future while also fully concentrating on making the most of this year of tyre competition. Ferrari's result in Indianapolis has given them a real chance of fighting for the championship while Toyota is enjoying an upturn in their fortunes. It looks as if we will have an exciting second half of the season!"

Hisao Suganuma - Technical Manager: "Magny-Cours is a medium speed circuit with a rough but very dark track surface. For tyre manufacturers this has several implications. The track does not give a great amount of grip but because the surface texture can cause graining we have to find the right balance between a durable but medium to soft tyre compound.

The colour of the tarmac also means that if the sun is out, the track soaks up the heat and we can experience very high track temperatures. The track's high speed corners, tight hairpins and fast chicane also make it a combination circuit where tyres need to provide good rear traction and good change of direction performance. This will be the key to getting good lap times at Magny- Cours."