Bridgestone receives John Bolster Award

Monday 6 December, 2010 Bridgestone receives John Bolster Award at 2010 Autosport Awards Bridgestone Corporation has been presented with a John Bolster Award in recognition of the company’s technical achievements in Formula One at this year’s Autosport Awards, which took place yesterday, Sunday 5 December, in London, UK.

Bridgestone’s Director of Motorsport, Hiroshi Yasukawa, was present to collect the accolade, which is named after the original technical editor of Autosport magazine, John Bolster.

Yasukawa, who has spearheaded Bridgestone’s Formula One programme over the past 14 years alongside Director of Motorsport Tyre Development Hirohide Hamashima, received the award from Formula One World Championship winning team principal Christian Horner in front of more than one thousand international motor racing industry professionals, competitors and special guests who were gathered for the annual gala evening.

Yasukawa, who first joined Bridgestone’s motorsport division in 1976, commented after receiving the award: “I am greatly honoured to receive this award on behalf of Bridgestone Corporation. When I first joined Bridgestone in 1972 it was my greatest desire to see Bridgestone become a technological leader through the field of motorsport and for us to become an internationally respected and well known brand around the globe.

“On behalf of Bridgestone I would like to thank the motor racing community for recognising our passion for technical excellence and our desire to ensure that we provided tyres which were safe, as well as capable of performing at the pinnacle of motor racing. We would also like to thank the many individuals, teams and companies who have supported our motor racing activities. Without them, we could not have achieved our goals.” 

ABOUT BRIDGESTONE IN F1

Bridgestone first entered Formula One as a full time tyre supplier in 1997 and in its 14 years of participation no fewer than 11 FIA Formula One Drivers’ and 11 FIA Formula One Constructors’ Championship titles have been won on Bridgestone’s Potenza Formula One tyres. The company has participated in 242 F1 Grands Prix and seen 168 pole positions and 170 fastest laps taken on its tyres.  A total of 700,000 F1 tyres were produced during Bridgestone’s 14 years. Bridgestone has enjoyed the intensity of both tyre competition (1997-1998 and 2001-2006) as well as the responsibility and honour of sole supplier (1999-2000 and 2007) and Official Tyre Supplier (2008-2010) status.

ABOUT BRIDGESTONE

Formula 1 has provided a global stage for the company, its technology and expertise. Bridgestone Motorsport is however just one part of a global company, which employs around 138,000 people worldwide and has offices, factories or continental headquarters in more than 150 countries. Its worldwide head-quarters are in Tokyo, Japan whilst the company’s Chairman of the Board, CEO and President is Shoshi Arakawa.  Established in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi, the Bridgestone Corporation is now the world’s largest manufacturer of rubber products and tyres for cars, motorcycles, agricultural, industrial and mining vehicles, airplanes, trucks and buses. The company’s diverse operations include the manufacture of golf clubs, tennis racquets, bicycles, chemical and industrial products. For more information please visit:  www.bridgestone.com

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