08/11/2010
NEWS STORY
Bridgestone approaches its final race weekend in the GP2 Series with the 2010 GP2 season ending in Abu Dhabi, alongside Formula One, on 12-14 November.
The 5.554km Yas Marina Circuit opened the 2009-2010 GP2 Asia Series and will now close what has been another highly entertaining GP2 main series. Bridgestone will supply its medium specification Potenza racing slick for the GP2 finale in Abu Dhabi, which was the compound used in the GP2 Asia Series.
With mainly medium to slow speed corners, traction is a key factor in terms of car set-up at this anti-clockwise venue. However, there are also two high speed sections to the track with hard braking zones going into turns eight and eleven. This will require the drivers to preserve their tyres during the 31 and 22 lap races respectively.
Current iSport International teammates Oliver Turvey and Davide Valsecchi both won races on Bridgestone's medium specification dry tyre in Abu Dhabi earlier this year, as part of the GP2 Asia Series.
Hirohide Hamashima - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development: "The Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi is an interesting venue with two fast sections and many slow to medium speed corners. At the beginning of the weekend the track surface will be very dirty because of sand, with the surface condition and grip improving with each session run. There are good opportunities here for overtaking, which will make it an exciting circuit for the GP2 Series. It is also a familiar track for some of the GP2 drivers as two rounds of the 2009-2010 GP2 Asia Series were held there. As supplied for the GP2 Asia races, Bridgestone will again provide teams with the medium compound dry tyre which is suited to the range of temperatures expected in Abu Dhabi. It will be the first time that the GP2 main series races at this track, using a different chassis to that used in the GP2 Asia Series."