Bridgestone has faced two rival tyre manufacturers during its time in Formula One racing, how difficult were those times of competition?
HY: Yes, we have competed against two tyre manufacturers during our time in Formula One [Goodyear and Michelin] and each of those periods contributed to some very exciting racing. Each tyre manufacturer has its own ideas and philosophies and we have respected this and enjoyed and relished the tough fights we have had with them. Those were very good times for us. Now of course it is a very different situation but nevertheless we are enjoying working with all the teams. Q: What are your memories of the early days? HY: It wasn’t easy and we worked extremely hard but it has to be said that seeing our tyres on Formula One cars at our first race in Australia in 1997 was a special memory. And taking that first championship in 1998 with the McLaren Mercedes team and Mika Hakkinen was a great highlight. 1999 was a tough year for us as we unexpectedly found ourselves as the sole supplier. We really didn’t have enough experience but we grew stronger as a result of that time. It was also the start
