Bridgestone takes the soft option.

With drivers often claiming that they cant find enough grip at the San Marino Grand Prix, Bridgestone looks set to offer its softest compounds at this weekends race.

According to the companys technical manager Yoshihiko Ichikawa, the soft rubber should provide more grip and, in the right conditions, provide better lap times at Imola, but has hinted that a medium compound will also be available over the weekend for those that want it.

Imola is a fairly smooth, low-grip, circuit, so both soft and medium specification tyres will be suited to this track surface, he said, Tyre wear is not a big problem here, and there is only a small difference in lap times and degradation between the soft and medium tyres. As a result, the teams will probably opt for one-stop strategies, as almost all did in 1999.

Most drivers complain about a lack of traction at Imola, although this problem can be remedied with the soft tyres, which also provide a lap time advantage. However, when using the soft tyre, drivers sometimes complain about a moving sensation that they can feel through the wheels. This can be counteracted by use of the medium specification tyres, which eliminate the feeling of motion and, instead, make the wheels feels more responsive - its purely a matter of personal preference.

At least one of the three days at Imola can be guaranteed to provide rain, and Bridgestone will also offer a soft option among its wet tyres to help with the ever-present grip problem, according to Ichikawa.

Soft rubber will be the most popular choice in the event of rain, damp conditions or low temperatures he predicted, as it will help to counteract these conditions by providing extra grip and increased traction.

Those teams testing at Silverstone last week have already had the chance to work on their wet set-ups, while Ferrari experienced similar conditions closer to home at Fiorano over the weekend.