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Is Bridgestone's Quality Going Down?

As in any type of market, when there is no competition, the consumer loses.

It's been 2 years since Bridgestone became the sole tyre supplier for all Formula 1 teams after Michelin withdrawed from the sport in 2006. Bridgestone entered Formula 1 in 1997, competing against Goodyear and then Michelin before becoming the sole provider for the F1 tyres and effectively monopolising the tyre market in F1. The current contract runs till 2010.

In recent races, the Bridgestone tyres have caused some drivers to imply the lack of consistent quality, with current world champion Kimi Räikkönen of Ferrari being the most vocal in his comments regarding the tyres. The Finn commented that while one tyre work fine for a setup, the next one could affect the very same setup differently. He also commented that now with Bridgestone being the sole provider (and hence having no competition to deal with since all the teams are using the same tyres supplied), they might not feel the same pressure to ensure quality in the tyres.

"Two years ago when we had two tyre brands and there were no problems like this" Raikkonen lamented.

Unfortunately, if the Finn is hoping for something to be done regarding this monopoly, the Bridgestone team has some other ideas. When the current contract runs out in 2010, Bridgestone will still look forward to a deal with F1. Bridgestone's racing chief Hiroshi Yasukawa said, "The current economic climate is not an easy one so there should always be continual assessments.

"However, we are committed to our involvement in F1."

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Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.

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