About Bridgestone Corporation:
Bridgestone is a global leader in tires and rubber building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Tokyo, the company employs approximately 130,000 people globally and conducts business in more than 150 countries and territories worldwide. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.
News - 2023
Bridgestone Celebrates 60th Anniversary of its Motorsport Activities and Announces 2023 Motorsport Plan
Evolving global motorsport activities in a new way placing sustainability at the core
2023/03/10
- Bridgestone celebrates the 60th anniversary of its motorsport activities in 2023.
- Bridgestone is engaging in sustainable global motorsport activities to help further promote and develop motorsport culture and to challenge to build Bridgestone brand into a "sustainable global premium brand."
- Bridgestone is committed to inspiring excitement and spreading joy to the world of mobility as "Emotion" of its "Bridgestone E8 Commitment."
Tokyo (March 10, 2023) ― Bridgestone Corporation today announced its 2023 motorsport plan. Bridgestone celebrates the 60th anniversary of its motorsport activities in 2023, and this year, the company will continue to support various domestic and overseas motorsports, ranging from top-level professional race series to grassroots amateur races, primarily by supplying Bridgestone POTENZA tires and Firestone FIREHAWK tires for car races, and Bridgestone BATTLAX tires for motorcycle races. Also, placing sustainability at the core during this memorial year, the company is challenging to evolve global motorsport activities in a new way and to build Bridgestone brand as a "sustainable global premium brand", as well as "supporting the global motorsport culture."
Bridgestone has been repeatedly challenged to support the movement of cars with safety and peace of mind under the company's fundamental principle, "tires carry life," in races where drivers are repeatedly challenging under extreme conditions and situations. In challenges to the extreme, the company has been polished up its pride and passion as Bridgestone, the four "Bridgestone DNA" - "Focus on quality," "Respect for being on-site," "Being attentive and supportive of customer problems," and "Challenging spirit," technology, comprehensive operational capability, brand power, and human resources development.
In the future, the company is strengthening the sustainable global motorsport activities to achieve the extreme in approach of sustainability to realize the carbon neutrality and circular economy, taking a big step toward "the global journey to the extreme" again, and contributing to the development of safe, with peace of mind, and fun car, motorcycle, and motorsport cultures. Through these challenges, by providing "Driving Excitement" in 10 years, 20 years, and beyond, the company strives to achieve its corporate commitment for "Emotion: Committed to inspiring excitement and spreading joy to the world of mobility" described in its "Bridgestone E8 commitment,"*1 and enjoy motorsport, earn emotion and empathy, and promote co-creation for sustainable future together with many partners.
In Japan, Bridgestone supplies tires for SUPER GT car races and All Japan Road Race Championship motorcycle races. Overseas, Bridgestone's Firestone brand is the exclusive tire supplier for the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES*2 in North America. Other overseas races supplied with Bridgestone tires include the Endurance World Championship (EWC), the world's foremost series of endurance motorcycle races by Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Also, the company supplies tires for TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup, the intense car competition race on mass production tire and grassroots motorsports, including the All-Japan Gymkhana Championship and Mazda's grassroots motorsport races. Bridgestone will continue to advance and refine its technologies, comprehensive capability, and brand power through various races including top-level races around the globe that require maximum tire performance under extreme conditions and situations, as well as providing "driving excitement."
As the sustainable global motorsport activities, the company supports the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge,*3 a world-leading solar car race held in Australia, for which it has been the title sponsor since 2013. In recognition for these activities, the Bridgestone motorsport initiatives have been awarded the prestigious Three Star of Environmental Accreditation from FIA, Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, the not-for-profit world governing body of motor sport. *4 Moreover, in 2023 Bridgestone becomes an official partner and sponsor of the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup,*5 an international competition for road production vehicles with an electric drivetrain by FIA, thereby expanding its role in supporting sustainable global motorsport activities.
Furthermore, Bridgestone is pleased to announce two new activities in celebration of its 60th anniversary of its motorsport activities. The first is the establishment of Bridgestone eMotorsport Institute, which will offer eMotorsport lessons by professional racing drivers. The second is the launch of the POTENZA Circuit Challenge, PCC, an open-participation event that offers beginners the opportunity to take their first drive around the circuit. Through such initiatives that combine real and digital racing, Bridgestone aims to broadcast the appeal and enjoyment of motorsport and to broaden the base of motorsport fans.
【Main Motorsport activities in 2023】 ※Bolded items are newly supported and held from this year.
| Car races and events | Motorcycle races | |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | SUPER GT TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup Mazda's grassroots motorsport races the All-Japan Gymkhana Championship |
FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race MFJ All Japan Road Race Championship MFJ All Japan Motocross Championship |
| Overseas | NTT INDYCAR® SERIES INDY NXT by Firestone Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) Bridgestone World Solar Challenge Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup |
EWC |
【Projects to commemorate the 60th anniversary of motorsport activities】
- Bridgestone eMotorsport Institute
- POTENZA Circuit Challenge
- The Bridgestone Group established its corporate commitment, the "Bridgestone E8 Commitment," to help it realize its vision: "Toward 2050, Bridgestone continues to provide social value and customer value as a sustainable solutions company." This commitment will serve as the Group's axis to drive management while earning the trust of future generations. The "Bridgestone E8 Commitment" consists of eight Bridgestone-like values starting with the letter "E" (Energy, Ecology, Efficiency, Extension, Economy, Emotion, Ease, and Empowerment) that the Group will commit to creating through Bridgestone-like purposes and processes, together with employees, society, partners, and customers to help realize a sustainable society.
https://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2022030101.html - Bridgestone has an agreement to act as the exclusive tire supplier for the NTT INDYCAR® SERIES until 2025.
https://www.bridgestoneamericas.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019/firestone-extends-exclusive-tire-supplier-partnership-with-ntt-i - Bridgestone has an agreement to act as the naming rights sponsor of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge until 2031.
The official website of the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge can be found below.
https://www.worldsolarchallenge.org/ - Bridgestone Motorsport Awarded FIA highest rank Environmental Accreditation
https://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2023031001.html - FIA PARTNERS WITH BRIDGESTONE ON ECORALLY CUP INITIATIVE
https://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/pdf/2023031002.pdf