Bridgestone Predicts High Tire Degradation in Malaysia

Only a few days after the exciting Australian Grand Prix, the teams are now preparing for the upcoming race in Malaysia, scheduled to take place this very weekend. And, according to F1 tire manufacturer Bridgestone, the teams should prepare for some entirely different conditions at the Sepang circuit, which will affect the tires far more as compared to the first couple of races in 2010.

Of course, this will happen in case the weather in Malaysia will be as hot as usual. Past experiences have taught the F1 teams to expect anything at Sepang, especially considering last year's rain-affected and red-flagged action on Sunday.

“Last year illustrated that you never know what to expect in Malaysia,” started off Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tire Development, Hirohide Hamashima, when previewing the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend. Bridgestone will provide teams with soft and hard compounds for this weekend's race.

“Sepang is relatively severe on tires as it has many different corner types and two heavy braking zones after long straights. This means the energy going through the tires over a lap is considerable. Drivers will have to be careful not to lock their brakes, especially when they have heavy fuel loads and cool tires in the early laps.”

“The section between turns seven and eleven are very important at this track as they give a very good illustration of a good overall car set-up. Being strong here is crucial for a good performance at Sepang. High temperatures are usually a factor in Malaysia and this could mean more tire degradation than we've seen so far this year, particularly given the severity of the track,” added Hamashima.