After Round 9 at the Nurburgring which saw nine of the ten Bridgestone supplied cars cross the finish line and four of those score points, Bridgestone Motorsport moves to France this week looking to build on that score. And the challenge of back-to-back races with no break in between means Bridgestone has stepped up its logistics arrangements. Much of the equipment, and several of Bridgestone's support personnel, have moved straight from Germany to France and whilst trucks of tyres return from Germany, the next consignment will already have been despatched from Bridgestone's Langley warehouse in the UK. Just 15 minutes from Heathrow airport and within easy access of Europe via ferry and Eurotunnel, Langley acts as the transport hub for the company, enabling it to move the huge quantities of tyres it needs to support its five teams across Europe quickly and efficiently.

Following the French Grand Prix this weekend, Bridgestone will be back out testing next week at the Barcelona circuit in Spain with the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, Sauber Petronas, Lucky Strike BAR Honda and Jordan Ford teams. With four of the five Bridgestone equipped teams present, the test will be of significant importance, particularly at such a crucial stage in the season.

Hiroshi Yasukawa, Director of Motorsport: "We are currently in one of the most intense periods of the championship. We have passed the half way stage now and with back-to-back races at the Nurburgring and Magny-Cours, it is important to remain focussed. The European GP was hard fought, as always, but I was encouraged to see both the BAR Honda and Sauber Petronas teams score points in addition to those secured by Ferrari. Ferrari has also been able to extend its lead in the Constructors' championship. We may be moving to our rival's home territory next but a Bridgestone car has won there for the past two years so supporters can expect a worthy battle this weekend!"

Magny-Cours requires tyres from the softer side of the range due the relatively smooth nature of the track surface. However, the French GP often experiences high track temperatures of over 50 degrees centigrade, making tyre consistency in the heat a major factor.

Hisao Suganuma, Technical Manager of Bridgestone Motorsport: "Magny-Cours is usually quite tough on rear tyres and we have seen quite high levels of degradation in the past so we need to have good consistent tyres, which we believe we have. The last section of the circuit this year has also been modified, making braking performance a more significant factor. The need for stability whilst braking is important which is where we come in. How tyres perform under these circumstances is crucial. Furthermore, we have the usual nature of the track to take into account. We will be bringing specifications from the softer side of the range but as track temperatures can be quite high, in the 50's, tyre consistency in the heat is also needed. We have been working hard in this area and fully expect our tyres to be competitive this weekend."