Get into gear for British GP (From Daily Echo)

Get into gear for British GP

11:27am Friday 12th June 2009 in

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BRAWN GP’s Jenson Button dominated last Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix at the Istanbul Park Circuit, taking the lead on the first lap and driving a superb race to bring his Brawn-Mercedes car home for his sixth victory of the 2009 Formula One season.

A week today they’re heading into the team’s home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with Brawn GP leading the Constructors’ Championship with 96 points while Jenson leads the Drivers’ Championship on 61 points with teammate Rubens Barrichello in second place with 35.

Whatever the weather at Silverstone, as usual Bridgestone will be supplying the tyres to all the F1 teams.

The technological advances that Bridgestone makes on the racetrack feed directly into its road tyres, offering drivers increased reliability and superb performance in all conditions.

With its unique position as Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship, Bridgestone works with many of the world’smajor motor manufacturers in a performance critical environment. Lessons learnt here, both technical and logistical, are applicable to passenger vehicle tyre development.

One area of particular relevance where there is crossover between motorsport and passenger vehicle tyre development is in tread design, with hydro-simulation for development of wet tyre tread designs in motorsport.

The tyres are critical to the racers and the facts are amazing:

• 1,800 F1 tyres are taken to each Grand Prix
• Bridgestone produces 40,000 F1 tyres per year
• Bridgestone reintroduced slick tyres to F1 this year after 11 years’ absence (used grooved tyres since 1998)
• 17 Grand Prix venues, spread across four continents are in this year’s FIA F1 World Championship
• 19,452 Grand Prix race laps were completed using F1 Potenza tyres during 2008 F1 season
• A team of Bridgestone tyre fitters can fit 56 tyres (14 sets) per hour
• Four Bridgestone wet weather tyres can displace 61 litres of water per second when travelling at 300km/hour (over 185mph)
• 60 Bridgestone personnel travel to each race

THE PRIZES:

The Daily Echo in conjunction with Bridgestone Tyres is offering a first prize of a pack of Bridgestone F1 merchandise including a watch, fleece tops, T-shirts, Sparco overalls and a replica podium cap, as pictured worn by Jenson Button, but signed by a current British F1 driver (Go on, think who we’ve got!).

The second prize is another replica podium cap also signed by a current British F1 driver. (Prizes will arrive after the June 21 British Grand Prix.)

To enter, tell us: Which driver is leading the F1 World Championship?

Answer on a postcard with your name and address to Bridgestone Competition, Southern Daily Echo, PO Box 543, Southampton, SO16 9ZQ Normal Newsquest rules apply. Click HERE for a full set of rules.

Closing date for entries is Friday June 19.