The Formula One teams are getting to grips with Pirelli’s new tyres for the first time this year, as the 2012 season gets underway at Jerez in Spain this week.

During the four-day test at the Andalusian circuit, which runs until Friday, each car will have 25 sets of the Italian tyres manufacturer’s new soft, medium and hard compounds available, along with the wet tyres if needed.

Teams are allowed a maximum of 100 sets of tyres per car each year for testing purposes, and they are permitted to choose the compounds they would like to test within their allowance.

Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s Motorsport Director, said: “After a successful first season in 2011, we are determined to help provide an even better spectacle this year, which is why the entire tyre range has been renewed.

“At this early point, the emphasis for the teams is expected to be on learning the new tyres and it will be interesting to see which approach they take to that process.

“Last year, it didn’t take the teams long at all to understand the characteristics of our tyres, and while we are sure that this will be the case again, there will be less of an element of surprise this year, as to some extent the teams know what to expect from our products.

“This rapid pace of development and reaction is what makes Formula One our ultimate research tool, enhancing Pirelli’s status as the world leader in the Ultra High Performance sector.”

Experimental compounds for the 2012 tyres were tried out during some of the free practice sessions last year, as well as at the young driver test following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

However, the regular drivers now have the opportunity to test the new compounds together with the new profiles for the tyres, which this year are much ‘squarer’ in order to provide a greater contact patch and deliver a longer period of peak performance, while maintaining an overall lifespan in the region of 100 kilometres.

His winter tyres test never really got off the ground until this weekend due to the mildest winter we have experienced in the last couple of years.

But in Part Four of his test, he really got to grips with issue…..

This is a taster of what he had to say: “With this being my first time driving on snow with winter tyres in the UK I spent a few minutes discovering just what I could and couldn’t do. I slammed on the brakes, accelerated as hard as I could and swerved from side to side. And when an uphill presented itself I stopped and set off again. While it would be overstating matters to say it was like driving on Tarmac, the tyres did always keep me pointing in the right direction, I was able to stop relatively smartly with the ABS pulsing under my right foot, and, so long as I kept the revs down, there was ample traction, particularly if I aimed for fresh snow, rather than icy tyre tracks, to drive on.

“With the snow a couple of inches deep in places, being sensible was still the name of the game, but at no point did I think I might not make it home. Which is more than can be said for the other cars I passed that night, which were invariably sitting on the back of a tow truck or crawling along at a snail’s pace. At a steady 35mph my 1.2-litre supermini passed them as if they were standing still.”

And at the end of his snow-covered road test - after over-taking a struggling Mercedes M-Class 4×4 no less - he concluded: “It also proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you don’t need four-wheel-drive when it snows.”

To read the full article go to http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/9064527/Winter-tyre-test-part-four.html

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Bridgestone has created a new range of tyres to help motorists cope with the unpredictable British winter weather.

With the much talked about cold snap, which saw snow fall in most areas of the country last week, many drivers in the UK are being warned to fit specialist winter tyres.

However, Bridgestone, which has recently launched the A001 Weather Control tyre, says that winter tyres are possibly not needed in the majority of conditions in the UK.

Andy Dingley, Communications Manager, for Bridgestone, said: “With 70 per cent of motorists not checking their tyres at all, driving on under-inflated tyres and 1 in 50 driving on both severely worn and severely underinflated tyres, we need to make sure that those people are still safe on the roads – but we also recognise that households are feeling the pinch and changing tyres every season is costly.”

Bridgestone’s Weather Control tyres can stay on a vehicle all year round. In winter, the tread pattern’s high-density siping has plenty of edge effect for controlled handling and braking on cold, frozen and snowy roads.

Additionally, a special silica compound provides strong grip in wet and wintry conditions, regardless of the temperature, ideal for UK weather conditions.

The Bridgestone A001 Weather Control has been developed for specific European regions and is suitable for moderate climates and wet, light winters such as the UK, Ireland, Belgium and Denmark.

The new Bridgestone A001 Weather Control is designed to give drivers in these regions a confident, safe driving experience all year round.

Dingley added: “Many motorists are being given inaccurate advice about winter tyres in this country, in fact a survey by Bridgestone at the end of last year discovered one in twenty families have sold the second car due to the recession.

“We feel that a balance must be struck where families can drive safely in all road conditions in the UK without breaking the bank, and Weather Control tyres could be that balance for many motorists.”

Bridgestone’s A001 Weather Control tyre is M+S marked (Mud + Snow) and rated as a snow tyre in most markets where winter tyres are required by law. The Bridgestone A001 Weather Control is available in 11 sizes to fit popular cars in the small and compact segments.

etyres operations manager Oliver Hall was invited onto BBC Radio Cambridgeshire to explain the benefits of fitting winter tyres to your car.

He told listeners to the Jeremy Sallis Breakfast Show that etyres has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of people buying winter tyres this year on the back of Arctic weather conditions that have blighted the UK over the past two years.

Many more cautious motorists decided to switch to winter tyres during the run up to the cold season with double the enquiries flooding into the UK’s leading online mobile tyre fitting company.

Oli revealed that etyres has fitted more than 2,000 winter tyres in the Cambridgeshire region alone during the last few months.

He explained that while it is not a legal requirement to have winter tyres fitted in the UK - unlike in many EU countries including Germany - they provided added safety for drivers.

He said: “It does give a significantly safer driving experience if you are driving in the snow or in the cold, for instance a car with winter tyres on just driving at 30mph on snow will actually stop nearly two cars lengths shorter than a car on normal tyres.”

Because etyres has a good supply chain, it is able to supply and fit winter tyres quickly for those who wait until the snow has started to fall.

Madonna is starring in the halftime show, sponsored by the tyres manufacturer, and of course there are the eagerly anticipated commercials aired during game time.

It’s the fifth time Bridgestone has sponsored the halftime show, and the whole spectacle will be seen by around 100 million people - which is why the organisers command the big bucks for the 30 second commercials.

Last year Bridgestone scored a hit with its “Karma” ad with the beaver was among the most popular with viewers, receiving a 97 percent rating on Fox Sports.

This year the company will be taking the opportunity to launch its new brand campaign, fittingly titled “Time to Perform,” during the game.

Approximately 36 ads will be shown and it is estimated that the ads sold for approximately $3.5 million each.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Kumho has taken over from Michelin as the official sole tyres supplier for Auto GP.

The Korean tyres manufacture will supply teams with two different compounds, with use of both the ‘prime’ and ‘option’ tyres mandatory during a dry race weekend, according to AUTOSPORT.com.

Unlike in Formula 1, however, there will be no stipulations on when the different compounds are used during each event.

Auto GP’s Enzo Coloni said: “Right from the start of our talks with Kumho, it was clear that their approach was a very positive one, aimed at giving us the best possible experience in terms of technical support.

“Not only did they accept with enthusiasm our proposal for the two different tyre specs, but they also expressed a will to bring on a constant development job working with us and the teams, something unique in the one-make series scenario.

“The first step of this process will be the creation of a special supersoft tyre for the Marrakech round, a street track where we expect a very low grip level.

“For our drivers being involved in such a development plan will mean getting a know-how that they can’t get anywhere else, a vital experience for their future.”

Auto GP is already one of the premier schooling grounds for Grand Prix drivers, and giving this year’s competitors the opportunity to learn the management of both ‘prime’ and ‘option’ tyre compounds at each of the seven circuits visited will further strengthen that role.

Tyres can have a major effect on your car’s performance, improving its safety and keeping it moving in winter conditions.

Obviously fitting winter tyres will give you extra peace of mind when you are driving in snow and ice, because they provide greater grip and handling. They also reduce braking distances in cold, wet conditions.

However, if you don’t want to fit winter tyres there are some simple steps you can take immediately to ensure your tyres are in the best possible condition for maximum safety.

In winter tread depth should be checked to ensure it is well above the legal minimum of 1.6mm across the central three quarters of the tyre, around its entire circumference.

Tyre pressures should be checked at least once a month or before a long journey. Pressures should be checked when the tyres are cold (i.e. travelled less than 2 miles) against the vehicle manufacturers recommended levels.

And finally, when checking your tyre pressures, give the rest of the tyre a thorough visual inspection for any signs of damage. Look for any cuts, cracks bulges and remove any embedded objects which can cause punctures and blow outs at high speed.

Denna Bowman, Head Office

With less than eight months before Brityrex International 2012 welcomes visitors through Event City’s doors, ECI International has revealed that preparations are ahead of schudule compared to the same time before the last exhibition in 2010.

Tyres & Accessories attended a recent Brityrex steering committee meeting chaired by the NTDA and held in central London to find out about the progress.

It reported that: “The first and clearest indication of the show’s recent progress can be seen in the exhibitor list. In January, with three quarters of the year still to run, 60-odd per cent of exhibition space has already been booked with some well-known names and high-profile prospect in the offing.

“Then there’s the sharp uptick in available exhibition space. Now that Brityrex has moved to Event City in the Trafford Park area of Manchester (close to the Trafford Centre), the venue has made 5,000 square metres of exhibition hall available to ECI International. When you consider that the GMEX centre (which is now called Manchester Central) was unable to offer as much as this in a single hall and that that this figure represents a 100 per cent increase in space available, it is clear that there is growing momentum behind the show. Currently, the organisers explained, the show is working to fill the 5,000 square metres that was originally planned, but there is the option to add a further 5,000 square metres according to demand. And all this means that more options to attract exhibitors and visitors are available to the organisers.

“One feature of this year’s show which is already reasonably developed is the addition of topical workshops, which may even be held within the exhibition hall itself. Possible subjects for discussion include advice on tyre labelling, TPMS and new tyre repair standards amongst others.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

But surprisingly, learning how to change tyres was one of the skills the 18-year-old future monarch learned after joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service and going on a vehicle maintenance course.

According to a riveting series by Robert Lacey in the Daily Mail, this was just one example of how a down-to-earth upbringing prepared her for 60 years on the throne.

Lacey wrote: “In the spring of 1945, with her 19th birthday approaching, she escaped court life to join the Auxiliary Territorial Service, or the ‘Women’s Army’ as the ATS was known — No 230873, Second Subaltern Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor.

“For a month, she travelled to Aldershot every morning for a vehicle maintenance course, learning how to change tyres and cylinder heads, then returned to Windsor for dinner each evening to lecture her sister and parents on the joys of the internal combustion engine.”

Denna Bowman, Head Office

Outspoken Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been voted the worst person to share a driving adventure with, in a poll organised by Continental Tyres.

The tyres giant quizzed 2,000 motorists about which celebrity they would least like to share a 4×4 drive across the Sahara Desert with.

Clarkson was closely followed by ex-glamour model Katie Price with the Prime Minister David Cameron in third place.

At the other end of the scale, the most popular choice among men if a co-driver were to be female would be Kelly Brook, who has a quite different set of attributes.

The women who took the survey voted for Robert Pattinson as their preferred choice of co-driver.

The ‘research’ was conducted as part of the launch of the Conti 4×4 Trophy, where people compete for a place on an epic off-road challenge; driving a Hummer through the Sahara.

Tim Bailey, spokesperson for Continental Tyres, said: “Driving thousands of miles through the Atlas Mountains and the fiery sands of the Sahara Desert makes your choice of co-driver incredibly important. It’s a long, tough and often dangerous journey.

“Jeremy Clarkson might have motoring credentials but either his calamitous road trips on Top Gear his lack of practical skills or his outspoken views mean most people would leave him behind.”

Top ten worst celebs to go on driving adventure with:

1. Jeremy Clarkson

2. Katie Price

3. David Cameron

4. Kate Moss

5. Carol Vorderman

6. Christine Bleakley

7. Nick Clegg

8. Madonna

9. Simon Cowell

10. Lewis Hamilton

At the other end of the scale, the most popular choice among men if a co-driver were to be female would be Kelly Brook, who has a quite different set of attributes.

The women who took the survey voted for Robert Pattinson as their preferred choice of co-driver.

The ‘research’ was conducted as part of the launch of the Conti 4×4 Trophy, where people compete for a place on an epic off-road challenge; driving a Hummer through the Sahara.

Tim Bailey, spokesperson for Continental Tyres, said: “Driving thousands of miles through the Atlas Mountains and the fiery sands of the Sahara Desert makes your choice of co-driver incredibly important. It’s a long, tough and often dangerous journey.

“Jeremy Clarkson might have motoring credentials but either his calamitous road trips on Top Gear his lack of practical skills or his outspoken views mean most people would leave him behind.”

Top ten worst celebs to go on driving adventure with:

1. Jeremy Clarkson

2. Katie Price

3. David Cameron

4. Kate Moss

5. Carol Vorderman

6. Christine Bleakley

7. Nick Clegg

8. Madonna

9. Simon Cowell

10. Lewis Hamilton