Bridgestone has admitted that drivers may run out of intermediate tyres if the Belgian Grand Prix takes place in altering conditions.
With drivers being limited to only four sets of intermediates for the entire weekend, the Japanese manufacturer believes that the current situation could be marginal come the race.
According to the company’s head of motorsport tyre development, Hirohide Hamashima, the situation was further compounded after the teams used up one set during Friday practice.
“In FP2 I was very surprised that everybody wasted one set of intermediates,” He is quoted as saying by Autosport. “The majority of the opinion is that the intermediate performance was going down after five to 10 laps.
“I am very worried that if they start the race with the intermediate and then rain comes 10 laps in, performance will be not enough. So then tyre management will be very, very crucial.”
“A few years ago [Flavio] Briatore complained so strongly that there weren’t enough wet and intermediate tyres, but we explained to everybody that the past data showed that three sets of wets and four sets of intermediates are enough. That was until yesterday. For this weekend now I don’t know.”
Meanwhile, it has been announced that Rubens Barrichello has become the brand new president of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association.
The Brazilian, who is celebrating his 300th GP at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, replaces Nick Heidfeld who relinquished his role after becoming Pirelli’s official test driver.
Finally Timo Glock has been given a five-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s race, after being adjudged to have blocked the HRT of Sakon Yamamoto during qualifying.
The German, who had mastered the tricking conditions in Q1, was set to start the race from seventeenth position.
Lotus driver Jarno Trulli was also fined 4,400 euros for breaking the pit lane speed limit.
