'Tyres a big issue' at Magny Cours says Rubens

The Brazilian claims that Magny-Cours' high-speed corners and chicanes make tyre selection critical at the French circuit.

'Tyres are a big issue at Magny-Cours,' said the Stewart driver.

'As a driver you are conscious of looking after tyres in a race by not throwing the car around too much.

'Because of the mix of high speed corners and chicanes the car changes direction quite a lot so you are always busy in the cockpit.

'Staying smooth and getting the balance of the car right for the circuit layout are the keys to a quick lap.'

In last week's three-day test at Magny-Cours, F1's sole tyre supplier, Bridgestone, took 1,400 tyres to the ultra-smooth track for tests.

Two dry compounds - soft and medium - were used for the nine teams to evaluate. It is believed that most teams will opt for the soft compound.

'The smoothness places a premium on traction out of the slow corners, which include three hairpins,' said technical manager of Bridgestone Motorsport Yoshihiko Ichikawa.

'We spent a lot of time at the test seeking the best way to reduce wheelspin.

'Comparing the medium compound with the soft option, the deciding factors will be the best lap times and reduction in wheelspin that the teams can achieve.'