Bridgestone will have to adapt for Singapore

Bridgestone plans to use reflective paint to distinguish its tires for the Singapore night race.

Formula 1 rules require that the two types of tires available for a race be distinguishable from each other. It is the softest compound that, for each race, has a white stripe.

For the Singapore Grand Prix at the end of September, Bridgestone thought about what needed to be done to improve visibility because it will be night and therefore more difficult to distinguish between the two tires.

And although there was talk at one point of using fluorescent colors for the event, the Japanese equipment manufacturer opted for a white paint that was reflective.

« The phenomenon of reflection of this paint will be slightly superior to what we currently know for any Grand Prix, » said Bridgestone’s development director Hirohide Hamashima.

« The paint used will be different. It will be similar to the one used for road surface marking. »

Hamashima ruled out the use of various colors to distinguish tires because tests showed that all colors except white were not effective at high speed.