BRUSSELS, Belgium (June 29, 2010)—Bridgestone Corp.'s decision to allow its race tire contract for the GP2 Championship to lapse will mean the end of race tire production at its Rome technical center, according to a Bridgestone Europe spokesperson.
The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile recently awarded Pirelli Tyre S.p.A. the exclusive race tire contract for Formula 1 and GP2 for the 2011-13 seasons.
Bridgestone has not yet made its intentions clear for the remaining infrastructure associated with its activities in Formula 1 and GP2, but expects to do so in the coming weeks.
“The facility for producing GP2 tires is a small one, among our pilot plant facility in the technology center, the space or capacity that it occupies can easily be reused in our R&D operations,” the spokesperson said.
“Bridgestone's future will be in producing market-leading tires for the new breed of cars and trucks currently under development,” the spokesperson added. “Tire technology is shifting with the vehicle makers and the requirements of new legislation.”