Mar.31 (GMM) Norbert Haug believes Bridgestone should consider altering its method for visibly distinguishing the two compounds of tyres on offer at grands prix in 2009
With grooves being replaced by slicks for this season, it was no longer possible to paint the inside of a middle groove of the softest tyres white
A month before the 2009 season, following extensive winter testing, F1’s official tyre supplier said it would instead paint green circles around the inside and outside edges of the sidewalls
The colour green was selected to show Bridgestone’s support for the FIA’s Make Cars Green environmental campaign
However, in Melbourne last weekend, television viewers – including teams figures in the garages and on the pitwall – at times expressed difficulty in identifying the green markings
The problem may have been worsened by the evening sun
To heighten the importance of the matter, the significance of the tyres being used this season has increased, given Bridgestone’s new policy of skipping a specification
For example, in Melbourne the ‘medium’ tyre was the specification of choice in the race, because the much softer ‘super soft’ significantly lost performance even after a lap or two
“Perhaps the contrast of white on black is better than green on black,” Mercedes’ Haug admitted to motorsport-total.com. “It is something to think about,” he added
