While most of the attention at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix will be on Lewis Hamilton’s quest to become world champion, it’s worth paying attention to the tyres that he and his fellow Formula One (F1) racing drivers will be utilising.

F1 cars will be using green-approved tyres in an effort to promote a green campaign outlined by the sport’s governing body with the intention of reducing the impact the sport’s motoring has on the environment.

Known as the “Make Cars Green” tyre, Bridgestone chief executive Shoshi Arakawa said he hoped that attention would be drawn to the efforts the sport is making to support the environment. With a major overhaul expected next year, which will include the introduction of kinetic energy recovery systems (KERS), F1 is keen to shed its gas-guzzling image and replace it with an environmentally conscious approach.

F1 has already played a key role in the development of hybrid and heat recovery technologies, which have then been used in road cars. With the change in rules from next season, Max Mosley, International Automobile Federation (FIA) president, said the sport should now be at the heart of environmental developments in the automotive sector.

The Make Cars Green campaign has been around since June when it was introduced with a number of targets including the monitoring of environmental impact and the development of tyres to save energy.Â

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