05/06/2007
NEWS STORY
Bridgestone takes in the first of two back-to-back North American rounds of the FIA Formula One World Championship with the 38th running of the Grand Prix du Canada. Bridgestone Potenza tyres of the soft and super soft compound specifications will be used at the 4.36 km Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve on the Isle Notre Dame in Montreal.
The circuit provides a tough challenge over the 70 lap race and the layout is one where heavy braking is experienced as high speed sections mingle with tight hairpins and slow corners. The last corner in particular has caused drivers trouble in the past and has something of a history for claiming the cars of world champions.
Heavy braking means the Potenzas will face higher than normal heat levels during the event. The event is followed by the United States Grand Prix a week later where the medium and soft compound Potenzas will be used.
How much of a challenge are the two North American races?
Kees van de Grint, Bridgestone Motorsport Head of Track Engineering Operations: Logistics-wise the two North American races are a challenge because first of all we need to ship all the tyres and equipment there. The fitting kit for Canada was shipped from Australia whilst the kit for the USA was shipped from Malaysia. Obviously we don't have the usual facilities as we do on the short haul. It's a big organisational operation but fortunately we have a lot of good people who manage that so we always have the right equipment available. We're not improvising when we get there, but it is different. For example, in Canada the tyre fitting area is on a temporary pontoon over the lake.
What are the challenges of the Circuit du Gilles Villeneuve?
KvdG: It is a big challenge for the teams as the brakes suffer a lot. There's a lot of heat generated and because of this we can also expect high temperatures in the tyres. Similar to Monte Carlo, being more or less a street circuit, Montreal is not used many times so it's very dusty and very slippery, which is why we've opted for the soft and super soft compounds. It will be a bit of a challenge to make the tyres survive on this track, especially at the beginning of the weekend with the high speeds and the expected high temperatures.