Like in Canada, Bridgestone will be bringing the super soft and medium tyre compounds to the street circuit in Valencia and, on another non-permanent track, surface evolution could again be a feature of the race weekend.
However, Hirohide Hamashima, the Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, isn’t expecting the same kind of tyre management problems that the teams experienced in Montreal. “From a riverside street course in Canada we now head to a seaside street course in Europe,” he said. “In common with the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, the Valencia Street Course has several high speed sections, however it has more corners.
“The layout and track surface is more aggressive to the tyres than in Montreal so we do not expect the same challenge for teams to get maximum performance from the medium and super soft compounds as in Canada.”
“This year's European Grand Prix takes place in June, as opposed to the late August date of the first two Grands Prix in Valencia but we don't believe the date change will present us with radically different weather.”
Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, is pleased to be back in Spain for the second time this season, an important market for the tyre company. “The Valencia Street Course is a good addition to the calendar and it is great to see this race establish itself on the calendar. Spain is one of our most important markets so it is very useful for us to visit here twice a year.
“Bridgestone Spain utilises motorsport well and this helps with our strong brand image. We are hopeful of an exciting race weekend in this wonderful Spanish city.”
