Introduction
Every year approximately 12,000 GP2 tyres are manufactured at the Bridgestone Technical Centre Europe in Rome, Italy, whilst the GP2 Asia Series tyres are produced in Bridgestone’s factory in Kodaira, Tokyo. Bridgestone is the sole tyre supplier to both the GP2 and GP2 Asia Series.
Structure
At top speeds a GP2 tyre rotates up to 50 times per second, which is approximately 150,000 times in a 300km race. This combined with the severe loads the tyres are exposed to means they must be extremely durable, yet still light.
Bead Area - The bead acts as an anchor to hold the tyre on to the rim. The bead can be either steel or high tensile composite material. The rubberized bead is stretched over the rim to ensure that the two components are tightly secured together.
Sidewall Area - The sidewall is the side of the tyre between the bead and the tread. The main purpose of the sidewall is to protect the tyre carcass from damage that could lead to punctures.
Shoulder Area - The tyre shoulder connects the main tread rubber with the sidewall, an area that is loaded particularly heavily during the course of a race. The shoulder is vital as it helps maintain as large a contact patch as possible when a vehicle is cornering.
Tread - The tread is the main part of the tyre that comes into contact with the road. The tread is made of a rubber compound which generates grip through hysteresis (the absorption of energy during the deformation of the rubber) and adhesion.
Belts - The belts are a core component within Bridgestone Potenza tyres as they prevent the tyre from deforming, due to the strong hoop shape the belt provides. The belts may be steel, nylon, polyester or other materials and are arranged in a secret combination to provide strength, side force and puncture resistance.
Inner Liner - Positioned below the carcass, the liner ensures the tyre is air tight. The inner liner is produced from a specifically formulated rubber compound.
Carcass - The carcass supports the mass of the car using the tension on the carcass cords that is provided by the pressure of the air inside the tyre. The carcass provides the tyre with stability.
Compound
For the 2008 season each driver will have available to them Dry Slick and Wet Weather tyre.
Slick Dry Weather Tyres - A slick tyre is a treadless tyre providing maximum contact with the track surface and providing superior traction on dry tracks.Slick tyres are available in super soft, medium and hard compounds. This range ensures there is a tyre available that is suitable for every track on the calendar. The optimum operating temperature of a GP2 tyre is 90ºC.
Wet Weather Tyres - A single innovative wet weather specification is available for both light and heavy wet weather conditions. Only one compound of wet weather tyre is taken by Bridgestone to a race weekend.
Regulations
Regulations are the rules or conditions that govern procedure. The sporting and technical regulations for the GP2 Series and the GP2 Asia Series are created by GP2 Motorsport Ltd and events are scrutineered by the FIA, the governing body for the world of motorsport.
General Regulations
At two-race events no more than 3 sets of dry weather tyres can be used for the practice sessions and race 1.
For race 2 only one set of new dry weather tyres may be used by each driver for all reconnaissance laps, formation laps and the race.
Tyre blankets are not permitted.
With the exception of the races, wet weather tyres may only be used after the track has been declared wet by the race director, following which wet or dry weather tyres may be used for the remainder of the relevant session.