Monza Prompts Tyre Concerns

Specifically, Suganuma said that Safety Car situations where the tyre temperature and pressure drop significantly is a particular cause for worry on a track where the cars go well over 350km/h.

"The tyre pressure has a big effect on the strength of the casing," Suganuma explained in Monza, "and when you get a situation of extended running behind a Safety Car, the tyre loses temperature, the pressure drops and it can be quite dangerous.

"The driver must keep the tyre temperature up as much as possible."

By way of illustration, Suganuma pointed out that the tyre temperature can drop by as much as 30 degrees during a Monza pitstop and added that the teams run higher pressures at Monza than at most other circuits in order to maintain temperature.

Bridgestone suffered a tyre failure on Luca Badoer's Ferrari at last week's Monza test but was trying a new construction which is not one of the tyres the company has available for this weekend's Grand Prix.

Bridgestone has one new compound on offer at Monza and two that have been previously raced, although Suganuma conceded that the Japanese are facing a "tough weekend."