With the frenzied excitement at the crowning of a new champion yesterday it was quite easy to forget that one of the sport's key players over the past 14 years bowed out in Abu Dhabi.

Yep this weekend we said goodbye to long-time F1 tyre suppliers Bridgestone, who have quit the sport and will be replaced by Pirelli in 2011.

That means no more red Bridgestone caps (as seen below) for the top three finishers. It’s likely next year’s podium headgear will be either black or yellow.

Credit: Red Bull Media

Abu Dhabi was the Japanese manufacturer’s 240th race since entering F1 full-time in 1997, when it was Goodyear who ruled the F1 roost (they still do in terms of overall starts).

But Bridgestone are now the second most successful tyre supplier in F1 history, with  ten drivers and constructors championships, 174 race wins and 167 pole positions. Okay, they were often the only supplier on the grid, which made victory a certainty, but this is still the end of an era. Bridgestone tyres have shod some superb cars - McLaren's MP4-13, Ferrari's F2004 and most recently Red Bull's all-conquering RB6 to name just three - been part of hours on-track action and misery in the pits.

Credit: Bridgestone Motorsport Media