11 November: Toyota
and Bridgestone finalise multi-year deal
Toyota Motorsport has today announced that it has signed a multi-year deal with
Bridgestone Motorsport which will see the Japanese tyre manufacturer supply the Panasonic Toyota Racing team with Potenza Formula 1
tyres with immediate effect.
Chairman of Toyota Motorsport and Team Principal of Panasonic Toyota Racing, Tsutomu Tomita
said of the announcement: "It is a pleasure to announce that Toyota Motorsport and Bridgestone Motorsport have joined forces. I
am sure that our two companies will share a fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship over the coming years in Formula 1. After
a rather successful 2005 season, our sights are now set even higher up the grid and we feel that Bridgestone is ideally suited to
the technical demands of F1 in the future and will be the best match for our 2006 car. Toyota is serious about winning in Formula 1
and we feel that the switch to Bridgestone tyres is the best option in the medium-long term."
Panasonic Toyota Racing's
first test on Bridgestone tyres will begin at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on 29 November 2005.