Teams demand equality from Bridgestone

Bridgestone will become the only tyre supplier in Formula One next year, after rival company Michelin withdrew from the sport. Moreover, the Japanese tyre maker will be the sole provider of tyres to F1 as of 2008, when the regulations change to a single, controlled supply of tyres.

But with Bridgestone effectively becoming the sole supplier a year earlier than 2008, many teams had been under the impression that they would all receive the same treatment in 2007 as well.

That view was quashed at last week's F1 team principals' meeting in Monaco, however, when it emerged that Bridgestone was varying the terms of its commercial contracts throughout the grid.

The discussion about the situation became heated when some teams found out they were having to pay for tyres as others confirmed they were receiving their rubber free of charge.

Autosport.com has learned that Bridgestone wants to charge some teams for race and test tyres next year - which could amount up to $5 million (US) over the course of the campaign. Further charges have also been mentioned for extra test tyres from 2008.

With the team bosses agreeing that the situation was not satisfactory, it was decided that Bridgestone would be pressured to give the same deal to every F1 team. Bernie Ecclestone told the team bosses that he would step in to sort out the problem.

"Everyone just wants to be treated the same," one source told autosport.com . "Those teams having to pay for tyres obviously felt very angry when one team said that they had been given a contract for free tyres that lasted for three years."

Bridgestone was not represented in the meeting, and the company has since been at pains to emphasise that it wants to treat all teams as equal as possible.

A spokesman for the company said: "Bridgestone is surprised at reports that certain aspects of tyre supply were discussed at the recent team principals meeting. Details of Bridgestone's contracts with its teams are confidential.

"Bridgestone in 2007, as the single tyre supplier present in F1, will supply tyres according to the rules laid out by the FIA. The rules state that we will make available identical quantities and specifications of tyres for tests and races, which is our intention.

"We aim to be fair and equitable in our tyre supply in F1. Our contracts with teams are compliant with the rules for 2007.

"As the official tyre supplier to the world championship between 2008 and 2010, Bridgestone will also comply with the terms of its tender for that period with the rules laid out by the FIA."

Bridgestone sources have insisted that with the FIA rules stipulating that race and test tyres must be free from 2008, the only charges mentioned are for extra rubber that some outfits have requested for wind tunnel and test-rig work at their factory.