World Economy and Motorsport
21/08/2008
This year's Formula One World Championship has been an exciting one. Four drivers have been in contention for the championship title: Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica. One of these drivers may become this year’s World Champion. Now that we have entered the latter half of the season Hamilton seems to have gained momentum. However, Massa continues to push as hard, Raikkonen is fighting back and Kubica is working hard to close the gap. Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, Hiroshi Yasukawa, looks back on the fiercely fought first half of the season.
Q: This year’s Formula One World Championship, in terms of the first half of the season, has been very close as previously expected.
Hiroshi Yasukawa [HY]: Exactly. This season’s races are so exciting. Though the championship lead was fought between Ferrari and McLaren in 2007, BMW Sauber has emerged as an even stronger competitor this year. Honda and Toyota have also made appearances on the podium, and the young drivers have put up a good fight for the lead. I feel a new era has come. The only disappointment is the Super Aguri Team’s withdrawal in May, and consequently Takuma Sato’s absence from the Formula One Grand Prix scene. I am very sorry about that.
Q: So you would agree that BMW Sauber has been in good form this year and that a variety of teams have come out as strong opponents amongst the top runners now?
HY: The Drivers’ Championship is currently showing a very close battle between the top three to four drivers, and the Constructors’ Championship is also being closely fought out amongst the top few teams. These battles attract spectators; however the teams have to keep working on completely new cars for 2009, as the regulations will be revised significantly. At the same time they need to continue to develop this year’s cars as well. Therefore the teams are put under a great deal of pressure with the amount of work they have to do. I believe this will show the teams’ real potential, capabilities, and the performance gaps between them, which could have some effect on their performances during the second half of the season. I think their efforts for the rest of the season should determine whether they will make a success of it or not.
Q: The rapid rise of petroleum and material costs has resulted in worldwide price escalation and economic turndown. Motorsport spends a great deal of money as you know. Do you think that the current world economy trend will adversely affect your motorsport activities?
HY: It’s been twelve years since Bridgestone started its participation in Formula One and we have encountered good and bad economic times during this period. Although the popularity of Formula One rises and falls according to economical fluctuations such as these, I believe the sport is basically very popular. The fact that a lot of spectators come to Formula One grands prix means that the races themselves attract many people and are supported across various sections of society. In Japan, motorsport used to be a limited world with a limited number of followers. However, in Europe, motorsport has always attracted spectators and interest from a wider audience and some of these are from those sections of society who lead the world economically. If motorsport was only supported by a limited section of the population it definitely should be affected by economic trends but that is not the case. I am not pessimistic about the future of Formula One as it is a sport loved by those people who have a great influence on the world and the economy.
Q: That said, surely Formula One will also be required to adapt itself to these economical fluctuations?
HY: That’s correct. Formula One will continue to pay careful attention to economic and environmental issues. We could have as many spare cars and spare engines as we liked before but at present additional cars are banned and we have to use the same engines for two consecutive races, and transmissions too. These measures were all introduced to reduce costs. So, I think, as a whole, the FIA works with considerations of the future in mind. They carry out campaigns for safe driving and good environmental practices. They also have a CO2 offsetting programme in a large area of land in Brazil. Working with such an organization, which has clear intentions to lead the world movement towards a good future is certainly a merit for Bridgestone.
Q: I see some specific trends in the world of racing too.
HY: As far as Bridgestone is concerned, for example, we could carry out tyre tests as much as we liked in the past, but such tests are limited now. Unlimited tests require unlimited tyre production, as well as unlimited fuel consumption. In the current world of racing, however, things are progressing in a way to avoid waste as much as possible, and even materials used to build race cars are limited.
Q: There are some characteristics that are specific to racing though?
HY: Being light weight is a key factor in building competitive race cars. It was originally based on the theory that lighter is faster, but light weight has another merit; it saves energy too.
Q: Bridgestone supplies its tyres in racing series around the world. I expect that there have been various views in the company about such motorsport activities. Have they arrived at a consensus?
HY: When the economy starts to show a downturn trend, diverse opinions naturally arise. That is not only the case in motorsport. This applies to every company and every business. Racing activities, however, promote technical development through tough competition. I believe our status as the Official Tyre Supplier to Formula One is beneficial for our company. Bridgestone’s brand awareness has rapidly increased since we started our Formula One activities and I’m confident this works effectively for our business as well. It is true that Formula One requires a huge amount of money but it is our common understanding that we benefit from such activities as well.
Q: I hope Bridgestone, as a company, will continue its motorsport activities for a long time into the future. Will this happen?
HY: Though it is a great responsibility I myself hope to accomplish it. I believe motorsport activities, including Formula One, are well worth doing. We would like many spectators around the world to enjoy these races, be happy and be encouraged by this sport.