Bridgestone tyres

[Gerard]

This isn't actually a technical question, but just something I noticed in a magazine after the Australian Grand Prix.
Every team in formula one is on Bridgestone tyres.
When I look at those tyres I can see the brand name on the side of the tyre.
But when I look at the tyres used by the Jaguar team, I also see the name 'Potenza' on the side.
What does this mean, is this another sort of tyre?
Can anyone explain?

[Peter Mallett]

I may be wrong but I think Bridgestone bought out Uniroyal and they branded the Uniroyal Tyres Potenza in the UK.

Maybe someone can check this out. I do know that the Halfords Class A Midgets ran on Uniroyals and they became Potenza.

[Sparky]

Hi Gerard!

It would seem that POTENZA is the performance arm of Bridgestone. All their road performance tyres use this brand name, and so I think Bridgestone are trying to associate F1 tyres with performance road tyres.

I, too, noticed the POTENZA brand on the Jaguar tyres, but didn't think any more about it.

Just went to the Bridgestone site, and in their 'Team Profile' section, they show the whole 2000 field on POTENZA's! - What's that all about? Were Jaguar trying out a new compound for Bridgestone perhaps?

Well spotted, Gerard! Congratulations! You win todays 'Eye Strain' award!

[Crash Test]

But havent other tyre companies done this over time? Goodyear Eagles and Firestone Firehawks spring to mind. They don't really have any connection to the road tyre, but they reckon that the technology does filter through..

[elephino]

Potenza is just a name for Bridgestones tyres, same as Goodyear Eagle, Firestone Firehawk, Michelin Pilot (can almost bet that they will use that name too), etc.

All the tyres have Bridgestone on one half and Potenza on the other, both names on both sides of the tyre.

More than any other part of motorsport, I think tyre technology does actually filter through into road derivatives.

[Warwick]

Although the Potenza name has been used by Bridgestone for quite a while it was also used on their joe average tyres and not only on there hi performance range,most of the hi performance Bridgestone (road) stuff is now
called S-02 PP (pole position), As far as i am aware Bridgestone have no association with Uniroyal,The only association any of the race tyres have with there road going counterparts that i have seen is the Firestone Firehawk SZ50 tread pattern is the same as the Indy cars wets.