Malaysian GP – Bridgestone Heads Straight for the Rain

Bridgestone tires were at the center of discussions a few days ago in Australia. During the race, the Super-Softs were a real nightmare for the drivers as they quickly degraded and led to a drop in performance.

In Malaysia, a change of strategy as the F1 grid will see the Hard tires appear in a race for the first time. These will be accompanied by the Soft compounds.

Hirohide Hamashima – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport:

« Sepang is a circuit where the impact on the tires is very severe because there are many different turns and two harsh braking zones following two long straights. The drivers will need to ensure they don’t lock their brakes, particularly with this new generation of single-seater that seems less stable due to the reduced level of downforce. High temperatures are generally a key factor in Malaysia. Besides the race start time, we often see rain falling on the circuit, presenting many challenges to overcome. »

The hardest compound used in Malaysia is an improvement compared to the pre-season tests of the teams. It has been modified to be ‘as soft’ as possible! In the end, it’s not a very big change and I am convinced that these tires will perform perfectly. On the other hand, managing the Soft tires is likely to be the biggest challenge of the weekend.