Bridgestone to introduce green tyres in Japan
08 October 2008
Formula One will show its support for the FIA's Make Cars Green campaign by running on specially prepared green-grooved tyres at the Japanese Grand Prix. Bridgestone, the global partner for the FIA's campaign, launched the Make Cars Green tyre at a ceremony in Tokyo today, with support from Formula One teams McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari, as well as their drivers Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen.
The initiative demonstrates that Formula One's teams and partners are backing the Make Cars Green campaign's goal to reduce the impact of motoring on the environment.
The connections between greener motoring and Formula One will be further strengthened next year with the introduction of energy regenerating hybrid devices, one of a number of initiatives in the sport that will be increasingly relevant to the car industry and help accelerate the use of fuel-efficient technology on public roads.
FIA President Max Mosley said: "New rule changes, alongside the support for awareness-raising initiatives such as the Make Cars Green campaign, will change the face of motor sport and place it at the very heart of environmental developments in the automotive sector. "The FIA is determined to ensure that future investment in motor sport will also help drive the development of technologies that will benefit the public at large."Bridgestone CEO Shoshi Arakawa said:"We hope that the launch of the Make Cars Green tyre will draw public attention to the many environmental initiatives in and around Formula One. Environmental preservation is at the centre of our work at the Bridgestone Group and we hope that this collaboration with the FIA will help to spread this ethos worldwide."
Japan Automobile Federation President Tetsuo Tanaka said: "By aiding the development of eco-technology, Formula One can make a significant contribution towards the effort to reduce the CO2 from road traffic. And by using its global appeal to promote Make Cars Green, the sport can encourage fans and followers alike to think green when they drive."
McLaren-Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said: "Since it first launched I've been happy to help promote the very positive messages of the Make Cars Green campaign. It is a subject that goes far beyond racing. The car is an incredibly positive thing and I think the messages of the campaign help to show us that we can all choose to drive in a greener way.
"The new Make Cars Green tyre that all the teams will be running on in Fuji is a great way to promote the campaign and a real first for Formula One. The sport can also help in other ways, especially with the launch of new energy efficient technologies next season."