The 2012 FIA Formula Two season was, according to control tyre supplier Yokohama HPT Ltd, a resounding success; the UK distributor for the Japanese brand provided wet and dry tyres to the entire field and was delighted with not only the performance of the tyres but also, the feedback from the organisers and drivers, as well as the exceptional quality of the racing action.
This season was the first where Yokohama supplied the A005 dry slick and A006 wet tyres to the entire Formula Two grid. The tyres supplied to Formula Two, arguably one of the most cost effective formulae on the ladder to the pinnacle of the sport, Formula One, were a bespoke item developed specifically for the Williams Grand Prix-designed single seater chassis.
Introduced at the pre-season test, along with carbon brakes, the Yokohama tyres immediately contributed to a reduction in lap times of around two seconds per lap from the previous season. Drivers reported excellent grip, consistency and longevity from the tyres, which are limited to four sets of slicks and two sets of wets per driver per double race weekend.
The supply of the actual tyres themselves was managed by UK distributor Yokohama HPT Ltd, which has a long-standing relationship with MSV, the company which runs the championship and a rich history in motorsport. The season's-worth of tyres were stored at the YHPT depot in Milton Keynes and new tyres fitted ahead of every round.
The company also invested significantly in an on-site infrastructure, to service the field over the course of every race weekend, which often featured a pre-event test, two free practice sessions and two qualifying-race days at every round.
The series visited some of Europe's most iconic racetracks, including Silverstone and Brands Hatch in the UK, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Nrburgring in Germany and Monza in Italy, as well as some of Europe's newest and challenging circuits, such as Autodromo do Algarve in Portugal.
The consistency of the Yokohama tyres throughout race weekends and the races themselves led to some exceptional racing for the 500bhp single seater, slicks-and-wings Williams-designed cars. There were no less than seven different race winners throughout the season and the 2012 driver championship went down to the wire at the very last race of the season in Italy.
British driver Luciano Bacheta eventually won the series and with it, a test with the Williams Formula One team and his FIA superlicense, required to test and compete in F1.
Commenting, Head of Motorsport at Yokohama HPT Ltd, Mark Evans, said; "It has been a superb season for us this year in Formula Two. Of course, it started at the end of 2011, with pre-season testing to establish the exact specification for the tyres but it was clear immediately that lap times in 2012 would be significantly quicker than in previous years - around two seconds a lap at some circuits.
"We saw seven race winners across 16 individual races; we had dry, damp and very wet conditions and I am very pleased with the way our tyres performed in all conditions.
"I am also pleased with the way the system for supporting the series, both on and off-event worked. We invested at the start of the season and ensured we had sufficient technical personnel at every round to service the needs of the drivers and organisers and the feedback we received from all involved has been excellent."
Confirming the success of the Yokohama tyres, Richard Gates, F2 Race Operations Manager, said: "We've enjoyed a very successful first season with Yokohama and have been impressed with not only the overall tyre performance but also the on-hand technical support.
"As well as being durable, our new tyre compound has delivered benefits including increased lateral grip to allow higher corner speeds, better 0-100kph times thanks to a reduction in wheelspin and improved top speeds of 305kph.
"The new partnership has also been commercially viable which is imperative in today's climate and we're looking forward to continuing this relationship in the future."
