Japan preview quotes: Bridgestone

"There will therefore be a very enthusiastic crowd as well as approximately 1,500 Bridgestone employees and guests in the grandstands so we hope to give them a great show and hopefully, a win. We will be pushing very hard to enable our teams to reach their targets this weekend."

Hisao Suganuma, Bridgestone Motorsport Technical Manager: "Suzuka is a great circuit and very challenging from a driver's point of view. It has a unique figure of eight configuration, combining several high speed corners and a tight hairpin.

"All areas of the tyres' performance are tested in Suzuka on all four corners of the car. The track also demands good traction and high levels of grip. The S Curves in sector one are particularly important for setting good lap times as the drivers require good change of direction performance from the tyres.

"Another factor to take into consideration is Suzuka's track surface, which is quite rough and abrasive. This dictates the need for a tyre with good wear durability and a mid-ranging compound selection.

"Our home Grand Prix is always very special as it is a chance to run in front of our fellow colleagues from Bridgestone but, like everyone else, we only run here once a year with F1 cars so we must prepare carefully for this race.

"Our tests in Silverstone and Mugello prior to the last Grand Prix were particularly helpful for simulating conditions at Suzuka and we have every intention of finishing this season on a high."