Bridgestone goes green in Japan.

Bridgestone has revealed that it will run special 'green' tyres in this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix to show its support for the FIA's 'Make Cars Green' campaign.

The dry tyres used over the course of the weekend will feature green stripes in their grooves, with the medium compound rubber having a green stripe in each of the four grooves while the soft compound will have three green stripes in grooves along with the normal white line.

Bridgestone Make Cars Green Tyre, Japanese F1, Fuji, 10th-12th, October, 2008
Bridgestone Make Cars Green Tyre, Japanese F1, Fuji, 10th-12th, October,…
© Peter Fox

Bridgestone has revealed that it will run special 'green' tyres in this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix to show its support for the FIA's 'Make Cars Green' campaign.

The dry tyres used over the course of the weekend will feature green stripes in their grooves, with the medium compound rubber having a green stripe in each of the four grooves while the soft compound will have three green stripes in grooves along with the normal white line.

The new tyre was launched in Tokyo ahead of this weekend's race, with Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen all present to show their support for the venture.

"Since it first launched I've been happy to help promote the very positive messages of the Make Cars Green campaign," Hamilton said. "It is a subject that goes far beyond racing. The car is an incredibly positive thing and I think the messages of the campaign help to show us that we can all choose to drive in a greener way.

"The new Make Cars Green tyre that all the teams will be running on in Fuji is a great way to promote the campaign and a real first for Formula One. The sport can also help in other ways, especially with the launch of new energy efficient technologies next season."

The connection between greener motoring and F1 will continue into next season with the introduction of the KERS system into the sport, with Massa admitting that the sport had to show the way.

"As drivers in the public limelight it is good that we can help spread these important environmental messages," he said. "Green technology is the future of Formula One and we can help ensure it will be the future on our roads as well.

"I think that KERS is just the tip of the iceberg for Formula One. The sport should always be at the forefront of new technology and we should try to lead by example with energy efficient systems. From a racer's point of view, as long as the sport is competitive and on the cutting edge that is what the drivers and the fans want. If we maintain this and help the environment at the same time, that can only be good for everyone involved."

The Make Cars Green campaign aims to reduce the impact of motoring on the environment in a number of ways, such as through the promotion of fuel efficient driver behaviour; the introduction of new technologies to help motorists monitor their environmental impact; the improvement of tyre design to help save energy; and by encouraging the global use of unleaded and sulphur free fuels.

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