Bridgestone, Microsoft Get Exclusive F1 Contracts

[OCBob]

This news is about a month old but this is the first I had heard of it, so I apologize in advance if this is old news here.
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Bridgestone and Microsoft have been granted exclusive contracts to be the sole suppliers, of tires and ECUs respectively, of Formula 1 beginning in 2008.

The announcement was made following this Wednesday's meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris.

The move to a single tire supplier and standardized ECUs (Electronic Control Units, responsible for a car's engine management) is part of the FIA's radical cost-saving package announced earlier this year for introduction in '08. Both Bridgestone and Microsoft will supply F1 through 2010.

In the specific case of the Japanese tire company, its monopoly will go in effect already next year, as rivals Michelin are set to pull out of the sport by this season's end.

In addition, the WMSC also announced that due to a significant increase in cornering speeds in F1 this season, the sport's Technical Working Group will be consulted regarding possible measures to slow the cars down.

 

[indyCoder]

Is a caution flag thrown when a car gets the blue screen of death?

 

[OCBob]

I can see it now, "looks like Schumacher is pitting again to reboot".

 

[Silverback]

Single tire suppliers is not new. It has happened off and on for the last 30 years that I can remember. This is true of a lot of sanctioned motorsports.

Now the single supplier for an ECU should prove interesting. I'm real curious on hearing more on that. I find it hard to believe that they will all run the same maps. But then, the monkey has been wrong before.