France Preview Quotes: Bridgestone

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "We are currently in one of the most intense periods of the championship. We have passed the half way stage now and with back-to-back races at the Nurburgring and Magny-Cours, it is important to remain focussed. The European GP was hard fought, as always, but I was encouraged to see both the B.A.R Honda and Sauber Petronas teams score points in addition to those secured by Ferrari. Ferrari has also been able to extend its lead in the Constructors' championship. We may be moving to our rival's home territory next but a Bridgestone car has won there for the past two years so supporters can expect a worthy battle this weekend!"

Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager: "Magny-Cours is usually quite tough on rear tyres and we have seen quite high levels of degradation in the past so we need to have good consistent tyres, which we believe we have. The last section of the circuit this year has also been modified, making braking performance a more significant factor. The need for stability whilst braking is important which is where we come in. How tyres perform under these circumstances is crucial. Furthermore, we have the usual nature of the track to take into account. We will be bringing specifications from the softer side of the range but as track temperatures can be quite high, in the 50's, tyre consistency in the heat is also needed. We have been working hard in this area and fully expect our tyres to be competitive this weekend."