Promising initial feedback for new Bridgestone tyre

Friday, 13 November 2009

MotoGP’s sole tyre supplier Bridgestone made a new rear spec compound available for testing in Valencia this week, with positive results.

There was a good response from riders and teams at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit to the new rear tyre spec rolled out by Bridgestone, at the post-season three-day test in Valencia.

After its first year as sole tyre supplier to the premier class, Bridgestone used the test to introduce a new medium compound asymmetric rear tyre during the second and third days at Valencia.

The results and feedback were positive, with performance better than the successful 2009 medium asymmetric compound used during the Valencia race last weekend, where it was the softer of the available options. Casey Stoner was the fastest rider across the three days of testing, with a best lap of 1’31.900 – just over three tenths of a second quicker than his pole position time.

“Our new specification medium compound asymmetric rear tyre is based on new rubber which we tested in Qatar and Jerez during winter testing,” explained Tohru Ubukata, Manager of Motorcycle Race Tyre Development at Bridgestone. “Our target for this new rear tyre was to achieve a wider operating range and greater consistency, and I can say that the result was what we expected, and was successful. All the riders tried our new rear tyre during the test and already the results are promising, the lap times look good, and rider feedback is positive.”

“During the test the temperature was generally lower than during the Grand Prix so it was a challenge for the tyres to reach the optimum working temperatures, but even in these difficult conditions our new specification worked well so I am confident for the performance of this new tyre next season.”

Assessing the season as a whole, Ubukata concluded, “We have reached the end of the 2009 season and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for their support during this first year of sole supply. It is thanks to the support of the teams, riders, Dorna and the FIM that our first experience as the sole tyre supplier in motorcycle racing has been a success and we look forward to what we can see already will be an exciting season in 2010.”