As the only new driver to Bridgestone in F1 this year, Jordan Ford's new signing Giorgio Pantano has had a lot to catch up on in the last three weeks. He has spent much of this time learning about the tyres that have carried the drivers' and constructors' champions across the finishing line for the past six years. Here he talks tyres, and more specifically Bridgestone tyres...

Q:
Do you havꦰe any prior experience of racing on B🌠ridgestone tyres?

Giorgio Pantano:
Not really, I had some experience in kar✱ting, but that was quite ꦆa long time ago.

Q:
At what stage in your racin𝄹g ꦍcareer did you begin to understand the importance of tyres?

GP:
I probably did not understand them a lot. I understood more in karting when I used Bridgestone tyres. I had experience then of understanding different compounds, wet and dry sets and so on but not so muchಞ on cars. It's one of the big differꦉences I have noticed between F3000 and F1.

Q:
As you have developed as a racing driver over the pas🧜t few years, have you discovered a preference for certain characteristics in tyres, eg stiffer constru🏅ction for sharper turn-in, the moving sensation of softer constructions etc.?

GP:
It's too early to say for Formula 1, I need to get to know the Jꦉordan car better first before I could comment, I think.

Q:
You have had a very brief insight into Bridgestone's F1 tyres over t﷽he past three weeks, what are your impressions so far?

GP:
My initial imp🗹ressions are good. But I have only used these tyres over the past couple of weeks so there isn't much for me to compare them to. In 2002 I teste꧋d with a team that uses Bridgestone tyres and these feel quite different, they feel good. But it is quite difficult to compare as that was some time ago.

Q:
How have you found the experience of being able to♛ test several different specifications?

GP:
I did some tyre testing with different specs when we did the Melboﷺurne spec tyre test in Imola. It was interesting and there is a lot of technical detail for us to evaluate and discuss, which is fascinating. I'm looking forward to ꦛlearning more about that.

Q:
How have yo🌃u found wo﷽rking with the Bridgestone engineers?

GP:
The𓂃y are all very friendly and I'm getting to know them the same as I'm getting to know the Jordan engineers.