Bridgestone accept blame for start
 |  Bridgestone have accepted blame for Ferrari's poor start to the season |
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MILAN, Italy -- Tyre manufacturers Bridgestone have taken the blame for Ferrari's poor start to the Formula One season.
World champion Michael Schumacher, driving the 2004 Ferrari that served him so well last season, finished a distant seventh in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday and failed to finish in the opening race in Melbourne.
Bridgestone Motorsport's technical director Hirohide Hamashima believes their tyres were to blame.
"Even if the entire package is important, in this race the responsibility for such a negative result is undoubtedly down to our tyres," said Hamashima.
Seven teams in Formula One use Michelin tyres, including Renault who have won both races so far this season.
"The fact that (Fernando) Alonso and (Jarno) Trulli lapped a couple of seconds faster than us is certainly not explainable by different fuel loads.
"There are no attenuating circumstances -- it was a lesson for us but a healthy one in the sense that we have learnt a lot from this defeat and we are ready to respond.
"Obviously we have had long discussion with Ferrari to create tyres of a new generation and we are counting on having found some that will allow us quickly to be competitive again," said the Bridgestone chief.
After two races Schumacher is in 11th place in the world championship standings with two points, 14 behind Spain's Alonso, the winner at Sepang.
Ferrari are also trailing in fourth place in the constructors championship with 10 points, 16 behind Renault.
The Italy-based team have been using last season's car but on Wednesday they will test the new F2005 behind closed doors at Mugello before deciding whether to introduce it for the third race of the season in Bahrain on April 3.
