Hirohide Hamashima, formerly manager of Bridgestone Corp.'s motorsport department, has been hired by Ferrari to be the luxury car brand's Formula One team tire development director.
Former Bridgestone motorsport manager Hirohide Hamashima.
Hamashima worked with Bridgestone, which supplied tires to F1 from 1997 until pulling out at the end of the 2010 season.
Surprisingly for many commentators, who suggested home country ties between Ferrari and current tire supplier Pirelli could prove advantageous, the Ferrari team struggled to match the pace of both Red Bull and McLaren for much of the season, a fact that seems to have been acknowledged by Hamashima’s appointment.
According to team principal Stefano Domenicali, Hamashima will contribute to “the development of the car and the issue of the tires, as this was an issue where last year we suffered in some conditions.” (Tyres & Accessories)