Monaco preview quotes: Bridgestone

Hisao Suganuma, Motorsport Technical Manager: "As the only real street circuit on the F1 calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix is extremely special. The cars need to have precise handling as they run so close to the sides. From a tyre point of view, the tyre manufacturer needs to provide tyres which give the drivers good handling characteristics.

"Being a street circuit with very tight corners, the tyres also need to provide good acceleration out of the slow corners. The tarmac on Monaco's street surface is another factor taken into consideration by the tyre manufacturers. The surface is very smooth and therefore compounds are from the softer end of the scale to ensure enough grip.

"With tyre changes now permitted and our recent developments progressing well, Bridgestone is taking a combination of both raced and previously unraced very soft compound tyres. The new compound tyres are actually softer than those used in 2004 [prior to the single tyre rule]. The Bridgestone wet weather tyres will also feature a soft compound.

"In terms of strategy, I expect the majority of teams will stop twice in the race - although a one-stop strategy is possible due to the shorter length of race distance. However, race strategies will ultimately be tied into a qualifying strategy and at Monaco, qualifying as far up the grid as possible is essential as overtaking is extremely difficult.

"All in all, I'm looking forward to seeing our teams perform at Monaco. We have made significant efforts to give them the necessary tyres which will perform well not only on the smooth surface but also in qualifying, the race and in potentially unstable weather conditions. It's going to be an interesting weekend!"