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[Cubejam]

Does anyone know how many tyres are used every weekend? or just every weekend for one car?

I'm finding it hard to imagine we're going to find a company capable of filling bridgestone's gap that is able to produce such a high number of quality F1 tyres.
Pirelli have said they're not going to enter F1. Michelin have said the same. Goodyear have said they do not plan to enter F1 but may discuss it, (i'll take it as a no), Dunlop? BFGoodritch ?

a) designing a tyre is pretty hard, Michelin proved that in 2005.
b) mass producing these tyres once designed will be even harder to do
c) even if they do manage to mass produce them in the quantities needed for F1, they're going to be no where near the quality of Bridgestone rubber.

I've estimated around 60 dry tyres are used per weekend per car (it could be more) Now.... say we have 26 cars on track... that is 1560 tyres for one weekend. Excluding wet weather tyres (3 sets of wets and 4 sets of inters over a weekend).

I just don't see anyone else other than the above companies who have said no being able to produce tyres for F1. Am I right to worry about this?

[Jensonb]

Cooper or Avon might be able to if they have the Cash on Hand, but you're right, it's a tall order. It'd be a lot simpler if they'd allow multiple manufacturers

[Gilles 27]

there doesn't seem to be a simple way out of this one. maybe F1 will have to borrow tires from other series like WRC...

[Cubejam]

Pleanty of spares in the tyre wall at Donington. They could use them!

[scotty]

Maybe this is really why Ferrari tested old cars with GP2 tyres...

edit: except they're Bridgestones too, thought it was Avon for some reason!

[cap-dude]

Can't Michelin just come back and do it??

Aside from them, there are plently of other tyre suppliers out there who supply major racing series. I don't think it should be too big an issue. At least we have an early warning and time to get things sorted out in advance.

[7UpJordan]

Can't Michelin just come back and do it??

Aside from them, there are plently of other tyre suppliers out there who supply major racing series. I don't think it should be too big an issue. At least we have an early warning and time to get things sorted out in advance.

I think it depends on if they can get their chief mascot away from NAStyCAR.

[Cubejam]

They've already said

“Michelin isn’t interested in re-entering Formula One — also known as F1 — racing, a spokeswoman for the company’s North American headquarters said Monday.”

Apparently. So its a no from them.

[darwin dali]

There are plenty of companies that produce millions of tires a year. It's simply a question of redirecting resources, maybe hiring some Bridgestone people who know - and then looking at the balance sheet 'investment compared to return' to make the call.

[ewest1]

I feel this is going to be an issue of price. A lot of these companies have suffered massive profit downgrades in the last 18 months. However F1 can not work without tyres. Somebody will fill the breach. The real question is going to be how much are teams going to pay to secure tyres beyond 2010.

[Cubejam]

Also,how good are the tyres going to be? Bridgestone have spent millions of £ and man hours into development of this years tyres so we may find we have poor tyres!

[bud]

Also,how good are the tyres going to be? Bridgestone have spent millions of £ and man hours into development of this years tyres so we may find we have poor tyres!

its not like Bobs Tyre shop is going to make the tyres.... the chosen company will be capable!

[Gilles 27]

I'd love it if we had poor tires, as long as everyone has the same poor tires.

[headless]

I hear Bob's Tyre Shop are going to supply Ferrari.

[darwin dali]

Also,how good are the tyres going to be? Bridgestone have spent millions of £ and man hours into development of this years tyres so we may find we have poor tyres!

I doubt that. It's more like Yen and $$