San Marino Preview Quotes: Bridgestone

The 4.933km (3.065 mile), anti-clockwise Imola track consists of medium-high speed corners, a couple of slow chicanes, and straights that are comparatively short but still allow for speeds over 170mph. The combination of smooth track surface and cooler temperatures than previously seen overseas requires different considerations for tyre choice.

Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager: "Last weeks testing in Italy and France enabled us to finalise our tyre choice for Imola. We had already gained a lot of vital information from winter testing at Imola and last week allowed us to confirm those results. Our tyres performed well on those occasions with Bridgestone teams posting good times so I'm confident we've made a good choice. We have selected tyre specifications from the softer side of our range to suit the less abrasive surface of Imola and have also had to take into consideration the need for extra traction and grip out of the slow corners. Furthermore, Imola tends to be a circuit that has a higher fuel effect on the cars, potentially influencing pit stop strategies. All in all, I think this could be the turning point in the season for us. Brazil was a difficult race which saw both our cars and those of our rivals struggling in the early stages due to high water levels on the circuit but the performance of the Bridgestone runners really shone through later on and as I said last Sunday, Fisichella was the true winner. I am very much looking forward to Imola now."