Bridgestone - "some teams will take a risk - and cheat"

[ArrowsFA1]

Interesting comments from Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development Hirohide Hamashima:

Hamashima's stance on there being no need to delay the introduction of a ban on tyre warmers is stemmed partly from his belief that safety is not the real reason why teams want to continue using tyre blankets.
Instead, he thinks some teams are more worried about their rivals gaining a competitive advantage by running tyres below a likely recommended minimum pressure that Bridgestone will introduce for the slick rubber.
"The real concern is minimum pressure," said Hamashima. "They worry about minimum pressure. We suggest a minimum pressure to teams because we would like to keep tyres safe, but some teams will take a risk - and cheat. Other teams are worried about that, so they would like to keep the tyre warmers."
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67967

[Azumanga Davo]

Interesting comments from Bridgestone's director of motorsport tyre development Hirohide Hamashima:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67967

If Max wants to push anything for safety, it's the policing of Bridgestone's recommended psi limit.

[Knock-on]

BS can recommend a minimum tyre pressure but is it enforceable in the rules. I though I knew them quite well but cannot remember a minimum tyre pressure.

If not, then the word Cheat is innapropiate.

[Azumanga Davo]

BS can recommend a minimum tyre pressure but is it enforceable in the rules. I though I knew them quite well but cannot remember a minimum tyre pressure.

If not, then the word Cheat is innapropiate.

Well, it's more about the "what if...?" characteristics of underinflating the tyres. Sure they will warm up a lot quicker, but overheating and eventual failure would be the outcome. And everyone knows what happens when a tyre suddenly goes (Kovalainen in Spain). Although that incident did not relate to a tyre failure on it's own, it did cause it to delaminate immediately and cause loss of control.

[Knock-on]

Well, it's more about the "what if...?" characteristics of underinflating the tyres. Sure they will warm up a lot quicker, but overheating and eventual failure would be the outcome. And everyone knows what happens when a tyre suddenly goes (Kovalainen in Spain). Although that incident did not relate to a tyre failure on it's own, it did cause it to delaminate immediately and cause loss of control.


It is a team decision to run whatever configuration they want and their responsibility to ensure that a driver is safe in doing so.

Just re-read the regs and there is no minimum tyre pressure. Only a stipulation of minimum depth at 1.4 bar.

[Azumanga Davo]

It is a team decision to run whatever configuration they want and their responsibility to ensure that a driver is safe in doing so.

Just re-read the regs and there is no minimum tyre pressure. Only a stipulation of minimum depth at 1.4 bar.

That's true, but my point is that Max, who always seems to be pushing regs round on issues of safety, should try and be proactive in this. I believe it would be a good safety step for the future.

[Knock-on]

I remember Tom Chilton in his first race back at Thruxton having a blinding race in the old Star Wars Civic.

He was amazing until the Tyres blew.

On chatting with the mechanics, it transpired that there wan no way he was ever going to finish but he would look outstanding because of the amount of toe-in (I think it was) they ran to get sponsors.

F1 teams are a little more responsible but I suppose it's always an issue.

[Valve Bounce]

BS can recommend a minimum tyre pressure but is it enforceable in the rules. I though I knew them quite well but cannot remember a minimum tyre pressure.

If not, then the word Cheat is inappropriate.

Exactly!! :up:

How can Hamashima use the word cheat if there is no rule governing minimum tyre pressure and Bridgestone only provides a recommended pressure?

[ArrowsFA1]

How can Hamashima use the word cheat if there is no rule governing minimum tyre pressure and Bridgestone only provides a recommended pressure?
That's what I thought was odd about his comment. Not only is there no rule, but he's talking about slicks that haven't even been introduced yet, and yet he's suggesting that some teams will cheat. Odd.

[Knock-on]

Unless it's been lost in translation?

:confused:

[SGWilko]

Unless it's been lost in translation?

:confused:

Well, newspapers do like to 'bend the truth' beyond all recognition, so a comment like, 'some teams may consider gaining an immediate competetive advantage by running lower than normal pressures' could quite easily be reported as 'cheat' ;)

I mean, if the NOTW can allege Mosely was in a 'N*** style o***' simply because the 'hookers' were wearing their stripey PJ's........... :laugh:

[Valve Bounce]

Unless it's been lost in translation?

:confused:

Well, some of the early Honda manuals in the sixties were a real scream. :D My friend bought a Bennet Honda motor cycle and we used to sit and read the manual and just go into hysterics. :D :D :rotflmao:

[Knock-on]

Well, some of the early Honda manuals in the sixties were a real scream. :D My friend bought a Bennet Honda motor cycle and we used to sit and read the manual and just go into hysterics. :D :D :rotflmao:

I do the same with FIA technical regs but for different reasons :D

[Knock-on]

Well, newspapers do like to 'bend the truth' beyond all recognition, so a comment like, 'some teams may consider gaining an immediate competetive advantage by running lower than normal pressures' could quite easily be reported as 'cheat' ;)

I mean, if the NOTW can allege Mosely was in a 'N*** style o***' simply because the 'hookers' were wearing their stripey PJ's........... :laugh:

They actually quoted the word Cheat so I'm not sure...

As for the other business, well, you had 2 dressed as prisoners and the others were in full German military costume and they spoke German but it was probably a misunderstanding :D

[SGWilko]

As for the other business, well, you had 2 dressed as prisoners and the others were in full German military costume and they spoke German but it was probably a misunderstanding :D

The case for the defence is quite strong then? ;)

[K-Pu]

If there´s no reg, there´s no cheat.

But if they put a new reg about psi with the slick tyres...
I think nowadays it´s the teams who must decide if they want to take a risk and go with less pressure (and having more chances of damaging the tyres) or using the specifications recommended by BS. It´s a bit like what happened with Raikkonen at Nurburgring, when he had the choice to stop and change that tyre or to keep going and risking the race.

Of course if something happened a lot of people would ask the FIA to do something, to fine them, to disqualify them os whatever, but IMHO that´s up to the teams.

[Mark]

There might not be a specific rule about tyre pressure but there may be a catch all rule about not using components outside of manufacturer safety tollerances?

[Azumanga Davo]

There might not be a specific rule about tyre pressure but there may be a catch all rule about not using components outside of manufacturer safety tollerances?

That would work on tethers, roll hoops etc. Can't see why tyres would be any different...

[PSfan]

I wonder if 2.3 applies.

2.3 Dangerous construction :
The stewards of the meeting may exclude a vehicle whose construction is deemed to be dangerous.

That being taken from the 2008 tech regs...

Also taken from the 2008 tech regs:

1.6 Complete wheel :
Wheel and inflated tyre. The complete wheel is considered part of the suspension system.

[Mark]

The stewards could rule that if a tyre is inflated to less than the manufacturers minimum specification the tyre is deemed not to be 'inflated' at all and hence the car is outside of the rules.

[Periapt]

Unless it's been lost in translation?

:confused:


This seems likely. After all, in English, "cheat" can mean "press the limits". This could be the limits of prudence rather than the limits of the rules.