Formula E CEO outlines 'exceptional' Bridgestone relationship as Gen4 era awaits

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has outlined the "exceptional" relationship which has already been built with Bridgestone, ahead of the Gen4 era. 

Bridgestone was successfully chosen as Formula E's tyre supplier for Gen4, replacing Hankook who will leave the championship following the conclusion of the upcoming season – the last of the Gen3 era. 

Hankook has supplied Formula E with tyres since the start of the current era, with Formula E finding itself in the position of wanting to give the Korean manufacturer a fair farewell but also start to work with Bridgestone. 

Bridgestone's move to Formula E represents its return to single-seater motorsport since the end of 2009, when the Japanese tyre manufacturer was replaced by Pirelli in Formula 1. 

The tyre manufacturer has already been working extensively with the FIA and has seen its rubber for Gen4 put through its paces in an intense testing programme. 

Driven by former F1 test driver James Rossiter, a mule Gen4 car fitted with Bridgestone tyres has already completed over 8,000km worth of running. So far, it is all going smoothly for Bridgestone, who Dodds has been left impressed by.

"So we have one-year to go with our current tyre partner, which is Hankook, who have done a brilliant job through Gen3 with us and continue to develop in the tyre space," Dodds told RacingNews365.

"So first of all, our relationship focus is very much on Hankook today on delivering Gen3, and our thanks always sits with them. In terms of the relationship with Bridgestone, I would say kind of exceptional. 

"I've known Bridgestone since I was back in my Honda days, and I've worked with them. So I've worked with them over many, many years. They take their work incredibly seriously, particularly in motorsport. 

"And only in the last couple of months I was in Japan, I met with Shuichi Ishibashi, who's the CEO of Bridgestone there, and we spoke at length about their partnership into the future. He's actually announced he's stepping down. 

"Yasuhiro Morita, his replacement was there at that meeting as well in Japan. So I would say, obviously we have to balance this sensitively, because you've got Bridgestone working exclusively with the FIA on generating the next tyre for the Gen4 car. 

And they are, I think, from what I've seen, they're doing an amazing job of that. But in the same breath, we've got Hankook delivering us a great tyre for the last year of Gen3, and we want to go out on a massive high."