F1 Rumour: Bridgestone Applies To Replace Pirelli- Leading F1 Drivers Are In Support
According to reliable sources within BBC Sport, an "impressive" tender document has been submitted by Bridgestone, which has sparked serious consideration for the company as a potential successor to Pirelli in supplying tyres for F1.
Pirelli, the Italian tyre maker that's been supplying F1 since 2011, is keen to continue in the role. However, some F1 drivers who've had enough of the company's sensitive tyres that easily overheat are throwing their support behind Bridgestone's bid.
According to the BBC, Bridgestone has confirmed that their tyres will allow drivers to push their tyres through the whole race without them overheating as we're currently seeing with the Pirelli rubber. Both drivers and fans will appreciate this.
On that note, it's been said that Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Nico Hulkenberg, have each thrown in their support for the manufacturer after running their tyres from 2007 to 2010. Another leading driver, unnamed, has also solidified his support for the Japanese brand.
F1 is hesitant to make a move due to the loyalty Pirelli has shown to F1, and there are also question marks as to whether what the company is promising is actually true. Of course, Bridgestone is no stranger to motorsport.
On top of this, Bridgestone won't have much time to develop the tyres, with the company only having 18 months to ready themselves for the project which will start in 2024.
No one in F1 has yet commented on this, but it's been confirmed that both Bridgestone and Pirelli have put in a bid.