Goodyear, who had supplied Williams, Ferrari, Jordan, Sauber and Tyrrell throughout 1998, left Formula One at the end of the season, temporarily leaving Bridgestone as the only tyre supplier while Formula One sought a competitor. The grooved tyres introduced in 1998 now had four grooves on all tyres; the front tyres previously had three. Wheels also were required to be tethered to the chassis in order to prevent them flying off in a crash, a feature which remains in place as of .