Spain preview quotes: Bridgestone

"Spain is an important market for Bridgestone and we will have many guests and supporters at this race so we are very much hoping that the recent competitiveness of our teams will continue this weekend so our supporters can enjoy a thrilling weekend of racing."

Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager: "The Barcelona track was resurfaced prior to last season but nevertheless, the track remains one of the toughest on the calendar from a tyre perspective. It has several long, high-speed corners which means that our tyres must be strong from both a compound and construction point of view.

"Looking at our compound selection, the Barcelona circuit has a relatively smooth track surface which would normally mean choosing compounds from the softer side of the range. However, the nature of the track is not kind to tyre compounds so our choice of a medium compound range is a compromise between getting high grip and the necessary toughness.

"These tyres are from the same series of constructions and compounds that have performed so well in recent races. Having tested a lot with our teams at this circuit we are confident that they can be competitive this weekend, although Barcelona is a regular test track for most of the teams so no doubt the competition will be tough this weekend."