Q&A: Giorgio Pantano.
As the only new driver to Bridgestone in F1 this year, Jordan Ford's new signing Giorgio Pantano has had a lot to catch up on in the last three weeks. He has spent much of this time learning about the tyres that have carried the drivers' and constructors' champions across the finishing line for the past six years. Here he talks tyres, and more specifically Bridgestone tyres...
Q:
Do you have any prior experience of racing on Bridgestone tyres?
As the only new driver to Bridgestone in F1 this year, Jordan Ford's new signing Giorgio Pantano has had a lot to catch up on in the last three weeks. He has spent much of this time learning about the tyres that have carried the drivers' and constructors' champions across the finishing line for the past six years. Here he talks tyres, and more specifically Bridgestone tyres...
Q:
Do you have any prior experience of racing on Bridgestone tyres?
Giorgio Pantano:
Not really, I had some experience in karting, but that was quite a long time ago.
Q:
At what stage in your racing career did you begin to understand the importance of tyres?
GP:
I probably did not understand them a lot. I understood more in karting when I used Bridgestone tyres. I had experience then of understanding different compounds, wet and dry sets and so on but not so much on cars. It's one of the big differences I have noticed between F3000 and F1.
Q:
As you have developed as a racing driver over the past few years, have you discovered a preference for certain characteristics in tyres, eg stiffer construction for sharper turn-in, the moving sensation of softer constructions etc.?
GP:
It's too early to say for Formula 1, I need to get to know the Jordan car better first before I could comment, I think.
Q:
You have had a very brief insight into Bridgestone's F1 tyres over the past three weeks, what are your impressions so far?
GP:
My initial impressions are good. But I have only used these tyres over the past couple of weeks so there isn't much for me to compare them to. In 2002 I tested with a team that uses Bridgestone tyres and these feel quite different, they feel good. But it is quite difficult to compare as that was some time ago.
Q:
How have you found the experience of being able to test several different specifications?
GP:
I did some tyre testing with different specs when we did the Melbourne spec tyre test in Imola. It was interesting and there is a lot of technical detail for us to evaluate and discuss, which is fascinating. I'm looking forward to learning more about that.
Q:
How have you found working with the Bridgestone engineers?
GP:
They are all very friendly and I'm getting to know them the same as I'm getting to know the Jordan engineers.
