Asymmetric front slicks available for Australia and Valencia

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Bridgestone has announced that it will be offering its new asymmetric front slick tyre as part of the allocation for this year’s Grands Prix at Phillip Island in Australia and the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia.

Of the many items on the agenda for Bridgestone during the Brno post-race test on Monday, one was to test its new asymmetric front tyre for the first time. As explained by Shinji Aoki, Manager of Bridgestone Motorcycle’s Tyre Development Department, the aim of the test was to evaluate the balance offered between braking stability and edge grip: two key characteristics of a front tyre.

“On Monday, the track conditions were very good in comparison to what we had on Sunday and many riders were able to set better lap times using the same tyre combinations they used for the race,” Aoki explained. “We offered our new asymmetric front slick to all riders to evaluate at Brno and some riders took the opportunity to test these and provide us with feedback.

“Although the Brno circuit is quite balanced in terms of layout and isn’t a circuit where an asymmetric front slick would be offered, we wanted riders to test the braking stability as well as the transition while cornering of this new development.”

Aoki went on to confirm that the new asymmetric front tyre will be available for riders to use across the Australian and Valencian rounds of the season later this year:

“Overall, the reaction to this tyre is that it will work very well at circuits like Phillip Island which have a big difference in the number of right and left corners, so we will be bringing this new front slick to the Phillip Island and Valencia rounds this year as part of our tyre allocation, which we feel will improve safety levels for the riders to an even higher level.”

source: Bridgestone

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Bridgestone completes pre-season development

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Pre-season testing for the 2012 MotoGP season wrapped up after the conclusion of the Jerez test and a late dash by Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner in the final hour of play saw the Australian stand supreme at the top of the timesheets once again.

Jerez was the first time all 21 riders campaigning the upcoming MotoGP season shared the same circuit , but it made little difference to the reigning champion as his time of 1'38.780 ensured he was the fastest man at each of the IRTA pre-season tests. Stoner’s late burst of speed saw him depose Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo into second place, though the 2010 champion’s best time of 1'38.953 showed the potency of the 2012 M1 and the promise of some exciting duels throughout the upcoming season.

The factory Honda and Yamaha teams locked out the top four positions in the standings with Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa third quickest ahead of Ben Spies, while Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Cal Crutchlow continued his excellent pre-season form to finish the final day fifth ahead of Ducati’s Valentino Rossi.

Following data analysis from the second Sepang test, Bridgestone developed a new specification front tyre for Jerez and evaluation of this new front tyre took place alongside continued testing of the 2012 specification front tyre. The data and rider feedback acquired from the experimental front tyre will now be analysed at Bridgestone’s Technical Centre in Japan in support of its ongoing development programme.

Shinji Aoki - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department:

"I am very pleased to have completed our pre-season development programme and we leave Spain having achieved all our technical objectives. At the Sepang tests we met our target of delivering improved warm-up performance, enhanced rider feel and a wide operating temperature range in hot conditions, and at Jerez we wanted to achieve the same performance criteria in cooler conditions. In this regard, the outcome was very positive with riders giving excellent feedback on how the 2012 specification tyres performed in the cooler temperatures and so we approach the season full of optimism.

"As part of our fundamental tyre development programme, we also brought an experimental front tyre for all riders to test at Jerez and we gathered valuable data on this new development. On behalf of Bridgestone I would like to thank all the teams and riders for their efforts in helping us achieve our goals and I look forward to what I am sure will be an exciting season for MotoGP."

Bridgestone press release

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MotoGP: A tire that may be worth a title

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One of the major workhorses are the tires in MotoGP, we all remember the wars Michelin-Bridgestone and even the most veteran of Michelin-Dunlop in the 500cc World.

This escalation of competition had its peak in the last stage of Michelin in MotoGP, when the French factory was capable of producing special tires tailored to riders and bikes from one day to another and transfer by plane to the circuit touched. All this ended with the single tire rule and the entry of Bridgestone as sole supplier.

But after numerous complaints from drivers last season, mostly due to tires which cost them to take temperature and produced numerous falls, Dorna not take sides willing to tolerate the tires could jeopardize the integrity of the pilots and between other measures, he joined the newly retired Loris Capirossi, to do a bridge between manufacturers and drivers to improve the situation.

Now Capirossi, who've been very active in Jerez, with his trusty folder always asking the pilots about the behavior of the tires, has a difficult ballot, in Sepang Bridgestone brought two new front tires to evaluate, marked with code 21 and 22 that the pilots tested in Malaysia and now in Jerez, and here begins the problem ... Casey Stoner, now exulting in his best time and happy with the performance of his Honda, was delighted with the tire type 22, which says "It's great when braking and cornering stick, "adding" the other I do not like, is very unstable ", making clear that more expensive does not want to hear about it.

On the other hand, Jorge Lorenzo commented, "In Sepang Bridgestone brought two types of front tires, the 21 is better than the standard and I hope that's the we use the rest of the season." But when he said that was precisely 22 and not the preferred resounding Stoner said: "If Casey does not like the 21 I like 21 and I think most pilots as well."

Stoner and his peculiar way of flying, something that was unceremoniously squeezed when the Ducati, which only he knew how to take their potential, rather something that most pilots do not convince, the dilemma is served, he is the World Champion Will your favorite tire or else will have to submit to the demands of the majority? Recall that the range of tires manufactured by Bridgestone is limited and will not produce them on demand. The answer will in Qatar.

source: motocuatro

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Jorge Lorenzo: "The problem is that the tires lose performance in a few laps"

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Jorge Lorenzo despite finishing second in the first day of testing at the Circuito de Jerez, the last of the preseason, was confident with his performance, as he himself said: "Some years ago I would have bothered wasting more time the last time no longer. "

"It was very interesting to test the bike in another Sepang circuit that were not, Jerez is completely different, more twisty. I feel good with the bike, with its maneuverability and to set a good pace with it, the problem is that tires lose much performance in a few laps. "

On his expectations for the Championships said: "None of the pilots have a crystal ball to know what will happen when you start the World Cup but if we talk about rhythm I think I am of the pilots with better pace, Casey has made a very quick lap but has a slightly slower pace than mine, but none have done today so do not drill "so questioned by the Australian way of working, which usually do not mock race:" It's their system, and has done well, everyone has their methods, I like to mock race "

source: motocuatro

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Bridgestone: No special CRT MotoGP tyres

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Bridgestone has confirmed that it will not be developing special tyres for the new class of privateer Claiming Rule Teams (CRTs) that will debut in MotoGP this season.

“We considered the introduction of CRT machines when developing the 2012 specification tyres and so these tyres offer the same level of performance to all the bikes on the grid,” said Tohru Ubukata, general manager of Bridgestone's Motorsport Tyre Development Department.

“Our main technical objectives of improved warm-up performance and a wider operating temperature range not only enhance rider confidence, they also ensure that the performance potential of the 2012 specification tyres is more accessible to the CRT machines. 

“The CRT results at the first tests were quite promising and indicate that the 2012 specification tyres are well suited to CRT bikes.”

Nine CRT riders, using modified Superbike engines in a prototype chassis, will race alongside the twelve manufacturer MotoGP machines from Honda, Yamaha and Ducati this season.

While two Aprilia CRTs took part in a private test session at Valencia in late January, two other CRTs joined the manufacturer teams at Sepang for the first official test of 2012.

The best CRT at the Sepang test was Forward Racing's Colin Edwards. The Suter-BMW rider's best lap was 5.1sec from Honda's Casey Stoner, but 2.5sec from Ducati's Karel Abraham.

Bridgestone won the MotoGP title in 2007 (Casey Stoner, Ducati) and 2008 (Valentino Rossi, Yamaha), and has been MotoGP's exclusive tyre supplier since 2009.

source: crash.net

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Capirossi on his new role and Bridgestones

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Bridgestone’s collaboration with Safety Advisor to Dorna, Loris Capirossi, resumed at last week’s Sepang test, with the three-time World Champion providing input into the ongoing evaluation of Bridgestone’s 2012 specification MotoGP™ tyres.

During his stay in Malaysia, Capirossi took time-out to talk to www.bridgestonemotorsport.com about his new role with Dorna, rider reactions to Bridgestone's 2012 tyres, and his hopes for MotoGP in the future.

Loris, how does it feel coming to the circuit but not being able to get out and cut some laps?

"Especially on the first day when I arrived here, it was tough seeing the riders out on the circuit and me just standing around watching them go, but this feeling passed very quickly."

"The good thing is that I decided by myself to retire, and for this I’m happy because during twenty-two seasons as a rider I always had what I wanted. One thing that is very different now that I’m Safety Advisor is that I think in these few days I’ve walked over one-hundred kilometres between the boxes to talk to the riders - this has been very strange!"

How did your appointment as Safety Advisor to Dorna come about? 

"I had been talking a long time with Carmelo [Ezpeleta] and he always said he would like to have me work with Dorna when I stopped racing, but first it was just an idea. Then last year when I announced I was retiring, we decided I would work as Safety Advisor and I am really happy about this because I have been involved with the safety commission since 2003 and I never missed a meeting, and during this time I think we did an amazing job to improve rider safety."

"Now in my new role I can continue to help in this way and give everybody the opportunity to use my experience, because for sure I bring a lot with twenty-two years in GP’s."

What are the main objectives you hope to achieve this year in your new role? 

"The first step for this year was to resume the collaboration with Bridgestone and to develop a working plan for the future. Bridgestone is very important to rider safety and so our relationship is also important, and I am happy to be involved with their work in MotoGP."

"Both our first meeting at Valencia last year and now here at Sepang have been constructive, and the feeling between Bridgestone, myself and the riders is very good."

In your discussions with the riders, what was the feedback on Bridgestone’s 2012 specification tyres? 

"The general feeling is that the 2012 specification tyres are very good. The riders are happy with the warm-up performance and improved feeling and this is important for their confidence. Also, the experimental front tyre that was tested here in Sepang gave riders an understanding of the direction of Bridgestone’s development and for this, the feeling was also positive."

"Honestly, things have been really positive here and I am pleased I can help provide Bridgestone with some information from the riders."

So the riders are responding well to you in your new role? 

"Definitely, yes. I have many responsibilities in my new role and helping with tyres is just one part of this, but in everything I do the most important thing is I know how to speak the riders’ language. I was in the same position as them until just a couple of months ago so maybe there are some things they can explain to me that they find it hard to explain to someone else. The riders respect me, so this puts me in a good position to offer advice on what the riders require."

In what direction do you see MotoGP heading in the future? 

"This year it’s quite different with the introduction of CRT, but everyone knows the financial situation at the moment so we need to find a solution to see if we can bring the costs down. CRT is the first step, and we have to try and make this step so that in a couple of years, things can improve."

"Whether this means all bikes will be CRT in a few years is too early to say, but my personal opinion is that things need to continue to move in this direction. I hope that this year is the first step to a big change for MotoGP."

source: MotoGP Official

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Bridgestone wraps up a successful first round of testing

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Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner was the fastest rider in Sepang, with his time of 1:59.606 – a second faster than the best time from the corresponding test in 2011 – proving that the combination of the new 1000cc machines and 2012 specification Bridgestone tyres is working well. Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo was overall second fastest ahead of Stoner’s stablemate Dani Pedrosa, the pair setting times of 2’00.198 and 2’00.256 respectively.

Bridgestone’s focus in Sepang was evaluation of both the 2012 spec tyres and the specially developed experimental front tyre, with the data acquired to be incorporated into Bridgestone’s ongoing MotoGP tyre development programme.

With track temperatures regularly soaring above 50°C, Sepang presented an opportunity to test the tyres for the upcoming MotoGP season in a vastly different environment from last November’s official group test in Valencia. Despite the different conditions, riders were happy with the feeling and warm-up characteristics the 2012 specification tyres delivered.

With the main technical aims for this year being improved warm-up performance and enhanced rider feel, the feedback on the tyres Bridgestone supplied to the private CRT test at Valencia (30-31 January) was also positive. The wider operating temperature range engineered into these tyres ensured optimum grip levels were achieved in quicker time, even though track temperatures in Spain did not exceed 17°C.

Bridgestone’s consultation with Loris Capirossi also continued at Sepang, with a working plan for 2012 put in place to ensure an ongoing focus on rider safety. The regular liaison with Dorna’s new Safety Advisor was valuable in developing a clearer picture of the overall rider opinion of the current crop of tyres.

Bridgestone now looks ahead to the next round of MotoGP tests and will supply tyres and technical engineers for both the private CRT test at Jerez on February 20-22 and the second Sepang test, from February 28-March 1.

Tohru Ubukata - General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department

"Our objective for the Sepang test was to evaluate how the 2012 specification tyres performed in the hottest temperatures possible, and in this respect we are very pleased with the feedback we received from riders in Malaysia.

"Our meetings with Dorna Safety Advisor Loris Capirossi were very productive and his experience with Bridgestone tyres and relationship with the riders are valuable in understanding the relationship between rider, bike and tyre. The presence of a Safety Advisor in MotoGP is a welcome addition and we will continue our collaboration with Loris throughout the year."

"The technical data and rider feedback we gathered during testing is of great importance to our MotoGP tyre development programme and I want to thank all the teams and riders for giving their valuable time in helping us achieve our objectives."

Loris Capirossi – Safety Advisor to Dorna

"I am very happy to resume my collaboration with Bridgestone and look forward to working together throughout the season. Personally, I feel this was a very positive test and another step in the right direction after our last meeting in Valencia."

"In my discussions with riders, the general feeling is that the 2012 specification tyres are very good and they are happy with the feeling they offer. Also, the experimental front tyre helped give the riders an understanding of Bridgestone’s development direction."

source: MotoGP Official

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Bridgestone geared up for 2012 MotoGP™ tests

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With six lap records set on Bridgestone rubber in 2011 and race times at ten of the rounds faster than in 2010, Bridgestone analysed tyre performance data and rider feedback throughout last year to develop tyres for the 2012 season that offer improved warm-up performance, enhanced rider feel and extended operating temperature range.

While the majority of teams take to Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit for their first test, some teams fielding Claiming Rule Team (CRT) bikes this year have already commenced their first shake-down of the year at Spain’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia.

Riders at the first Sepang test will have access to newly developed front tyres featuring revisions to rubber compounds and construction that were specifically developed to boost warm-up performance. Evaluation of the new front tyre will take place alongside ongoing assessment of the 2012 specification tyres that were well received by riders when debuted at last November’s Valencia post-season test.

The following Bridgestone tyre compounds will be available at the Sepang and Valencia tests: 

Sepang – Front: Hard & Extra-Hard; Rear: Medium & Hard; Rain: Hard 

Valencia – Front: Soft & Medium; Rear: Medium & Hard (asymmetric); Rain: Soft

To provide on-site support at each of the tests, Bridgestone has sent technical engineers to both Spain and Malaysia. Aside from providing technical support, the engineers will focus on the acquisition of tyre data and rider feedback, all of which will be compiled and sent back to Bridgestone’s Technical Centre in Japan for further analysis.

At Sepang, Bridgestone will also meet with newly appointed Safety Advisor to Dorna, Loris Capirossi, to continue their collaboration to improve rider safety. During the test, Bridgestone and Capriossi will monitor rider reaction to the 2012 specification tyres and establish a working plan for the upcoming season.

Tohru Ubukata - General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department

"Though we achieved our key objectives and numerous lap records were broken in 2011, for the upcoming season we have focused our development on further enhancing the safety aspects of our MotoGP tyres.

"To achieve this target, our technical aim for the new specification tyres was to make their grip characteristics easier to manage, improve warm-up performance and increase their operating temperature range. The positive reception our new tyres received at the Valencia post-season test showed we are well on track with development, `nd we have continued our progress over the winter break.

"At Sepang we will introduce new specification tyres for testing, while for the Valencia test we will continue to evaluate the tyres we debuted there last November. Apart from examining performance data during the tests, we will work closely with Safety Advisor Loris Capirossi and the riders to gauge their perception of the new tyres. This is all part of our goal to ensure optimal tyre performance for all motorcycles on the grid in 2012."

The complete MotoGP test schedule for 2012 is as follows:

Valencia (Private test), January 30-31

Sepang (IRTA official test), January 31 - February 2

Jerez (Private test), February 20-22

Sepang (IRTA official test), February 28 - March 1

Aragon (Private test), March 8-9

Jerez (IRTA official test), March 23-25

source: MotoGP Official

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Rossi: I'm scared of the Bridgestone

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After the last test in Jerez last week, have definitely lowered the shutters of the garages of the championship, dropping the curtain on a season abnormal. It began with great news - the promotion of Spies and Simoncelli to riders, the return of Stoner in the Honda, and the birth of one of the most beautiful couples of all time with Valentino Rossi on the Ducati Desmosedici. After bitter notes of : Rossi finds it hard, a grid increasingly restricted by the withdrawal of Suzuki, and the disappearance of Marco Simoncelli.

It has been said about the young boy Coriano. Among memories, revs, and deafening silence, the void left by "Sic" has emerged, almost unreal, in all its grandeur. And with him, the controversy of a paradoxical evolution of electronics and tires brought to one of the leagues tortured by falls and accidents .

Bridgestone tires have already been devoted to the coverage. Capable of incredible speeds and long life in the middle of the curve, but also difficult to get heat because of the hardness of the carcass . The result: lots of falls and moments of uncertainty in the early laps of the race, one of which had fatal consequences.

Two friends of "Sic", Kevin Schwantz and Valentino Rossi, Bridgestone have addressed the subject of the book Schwantz Superbike Planet .

"If you ask to Bridgestone, they tell you that tires are the same as last year - said his friend Red -  But I tell you one thing. Last year in Malaysia, 90% of drivers have raced with hard tires. This year, about 17 bikes on the grid, only one has the hard mounted. All this in almost identical weather conditions, not in anticipation of rain or low temperatures. The only was to mount the hard Simoncelli " .

Obviously, these techniques also have psychological consequences of uncertainty. "Often the cause of the accidents seem to be the tires - wrote Schwantz - If you talk to the pilots of the early laps of the race, you know who really afraid . It takes time to send the tires up to temperature and gain confidence. I do not know if the bikes fit them stiffer suspension or have made ​​other changes, but Valentine looked at me straight in the eye and said: 'These tires scare me' " .

It 'is really strange that Valentino Rossi the' testimonial 'House of the Japanese ...

The adoption of the single tire forces the bike to fit the tires, and not vice versa, with obvious repercussions on technological development. "When I was driving the Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki, did not use all the same tire - added the Texan - The Most of the time, used the Dunlop Yamaha did not know then that mixes mounted in reality. But Honda and Suzuki, Doohan, Gardner, I, and sometimes my teammates, we mounted several compounds. I do not think you can make a tire for all, because each bike has unique characteristics. It was a cost problem, but now has become a safety issue. Then there is the risk that the manufacturers of tires you adagino development. Technological progress is not whether we will not have to figure out how to beat Bridgestone, Michelin or Dunlop and vice-versa " .

If it was not possible to involve other houses, you should at least increase the choice of compounds. "The tires often make the difference at this level. But even if there were only Bridgestone would be better to have more than two options . In any case, during the winter you will have to examine why so many riders are not theoretically able to get on a MotoGP bike and familiarize yourself with the medium " .

On the latter point, Smith had also, in spite of himself, to show solidarity. "He said that the new bike is better but not enough - wrote Schwantz - Rossi said: 'We need much more. I can not hear this bike. I can not find the confidence to push the limits' " .

The "Doctor" will not stay still with folded hands awaiting testing at Sepang in late January. Rossi is building a dirt track in one of his properties to train to do the "cross" . After the Rally of Monza , it seems that we have acquired a taste.

source: GP One

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Valentino Rossi makes Bridgestone lesson, arrives on the new road racing tire

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Valentino Rossi has started a year ago, a partnership with Bridgestone  tires for the development of road.

Now the Japanese company has the  Battlax S20 . Unveiled at  the Milan Show , the new tire is designed to meet the needs of medium and large-displacement bikes from 600 to 1300 cc.

After the symbol "R" (= Racing) used for the Battlax R10, Bridgestone also introduces the symbol "S" (Sport =), thus creating the new name Battlax S20. The new S20 Battlax full range of products that include Battlax Hypersport BT-016 BT-016 and Pro among others sport tires for road use and track. Battlax The S20 uses the technology developed and used Bridgestone in MotoGP, is designed to meet the demands of motorcyclists who want to enjoy sports of mountain trails and some output circuit providing unbeatable performance and easy handling on wet and dry.

"The test results show the use of the new S20 of the technology used by Bridgestone in  MotoGP  and its application to a tire for street use. To date, the S20 is the tire that comes closest to that used in MotoGP and therefore benefits of the technology that led to success in MotoGP, Bridgestone, "  explains  Vincent Van Houtte , Manager Motorcycle Tyre Products, Bridgestone Europe.

The new tire premium Battlax Hypersport S20 will be available in Europe starting next month of January in 4 sizes front and rear 7 sizes. Here the video of the Doctor of  Ducati  reveals his impressions:

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Successful debut of 2012 Bridgestone tyres

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During the two-day Official MotoGP Test at the Valencia circuit, Bridgestone debuted the final specification 2012 tyres, providing them to all teams for the duration of the test.

The Test was conducted mostly with the new-era 1000cc machines including five Claiming Rule Team (CRT) bikes from BQR Inmotec, BQR FTR, TeamLaglisse and the Grellini Team. Every rider’s tyre allocation comprised only the 2012 tyres, marking the first full usage of the 2012 tyres that Bridgestone have been developing for one year.

The new family of tyres has been developed with the objectives of achieving easier riding characteristics by improving warm-up performance and with a wider temperature operating range, and rider feedback is positive.

This is an important Test not only from a tyre perspective but because it is the first time that next year’s rider changes take effect and the 1000cc bikes have been on track at the same time.

Tohru Ubukata – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department:

“This Test was the first opportunity for us to give all the riders our finalised 2012 specification tyres so it was very important for us. Every rider used our 2012 spec tyres for both days of testing on the new era of 1000cc machines, including five of the new CRT bikes.

“The tyres we supplied are those that will be used for next season, but this Test was the first official one for the 1000c bikes so this is the first stage in learning these new machines so we are not resting on our laurels. We will keep learning their characteristics with each test and continue our tyre development into and through next season.

“We started developing this new family of tyres from the post-Valencia Test at this time last year and used every Test opportunity during this season to continue with our development programme, and I am confident what we have will be a marked step forward in addressing the specific concerns from this year.

“Specifically, our objectives from these new tyres are to make their grip characteristics easier to manage, to improve warm-up performance and to increase their temperature operating range. From the data we have collected from the last two days, I am satisfied that we have met these objectives and rider feedback has been positive so I am confident for tyre performance next year. I’m also happy with the positive feedback even from CRT teams about our new tyre and its warm-up performance.

“I’d like to thank all the teams and riders for their support these last two days and for the significant role they have all played in developing these tyres this year, for the time they dedicated on track and for their feedback and comments.”

Bridgestone Motorsport press release

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Bridgestone preview MotoGP season-closer

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On the eve of the final round of the 2011 MotoGP World Championship, tyre supplier Bridgestone analyse the demands of the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo.

The traditional season finale is a tight and twisty affair that does not give the tyres much rest during a lap, so it is very important that teams get their bikes setup to use them most efficiently. With little chance during a lap to cool down, excess sliding can easily generate excess tyre temperature and accelerate tyre wear. With one of the longest total race distances of the year, the tyres have 420 corners to contend with during the 30 laps.

Despite this, warm-up performance is crucial in the cooler European climes. In past seasons the temperature has fluctuated significantly year-on-year, so the conditions will play an important role in riders’ tyre compound choices. In preparation for the cold, Bridgestone have selected the soft and medium compound front slicks and the medium and hard rears, the same as used last year. The softer option rear also features the extra soft compound rubber in the lesser-used right shoulder to maximise warm-up performance opening laps.

Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department

"It is with heavy hearts that we travel to Valencia this week for the final round of the season, but that we continue racing is in itself a fitting tribute to Marco. He never gave up, so nor shall we. Marco will be with us all in our hearts and minds, and no doubt watching every step and at every corner, and I’m sure that the MotoGP family will honour Marco’s colourful and vibrant life suitably and appropriately, remembering the good times we all shared with him."

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

"Valencia is a slippery and technically complex circuit with a slow, twisty asymmetric layout. It’s what we could call a busy circuit because the number and layout of corners means that the tyres are always working and have very little respite. If a bike’s setup isn’t optimised, it is easy to generate excess tyre temperature because of this, especially as softer compounds are generally required because of the cool ambient conditions."

"We will use the soft and medium front compounds but the front tyre must be strong to cope with the heavy braking loads into the first corner. With the low track temperature softer rear compounds are also required to provide good grip but a harder compound is needed in the left shoulder of the rear tyres because of the asymmetric layout and the tyre temperature generated by the long left-handed last corner. There are only a few tight right-handers so warm-up performance in the right shoulders is important, and this is why we are again using our extra soft compound in our softer option asymmetric rear tyres in Valencia."

Press release courtesy of Bridgestone Motorsport

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Phillip Island tyre performance analysis

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Bridgestone’s Hirohide Hamashima discusses tyre performance at the Iveco Australian Grand Prix. The Australian Grand Prix was won, for the fifth time in succession, by local hero Casey Stoner who in doing so clinched his second World Championship title and the first for Honda in the 800cc era. The weekend started off with fine and dry weather on Phillip Island, in the Bass Straight south of Melbourne, but the temperature dropped and the wind picked up with each day until the threat of precipitation materialised on raceday. 

Spots of rain wetted parts of the track whilst others were in sunshine making the grip level very unpredictable, resulting in four riders crashing out of contention. The Yamaha Factory duo of Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies were both unable to start the Grand Prix due to injuries sustained from separate crashes, and Mapfre Aspar stand-in Damian Cudlin was also sidelined after injury.

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

How much of a challenge does Phillip Island pose for tyres?

“It’s really a very tricky circuit as it’s one of extremes – it’s both relatively undemanding and the most severe circuit of the season for the tyres. The ambient temperature is usually quite cool, and even though the track temperature was very reasonable this year, the wind that comes off the ocean has a significant cooling effect on the tyres so warm-up performance is important. For the front tyres, it’s an easy circuit in terms of durability as there’s only really one area of heavy braking, but softer compounds are required to generate good grip.

“For the right shoulders of the rear tyres, the circuit is also fairly easy in terms of durability but, again, generating a good level of grip is very important and this is why we used our extra soft compound rubber this year. But the extreme comes in the form of the last two corners that demand an awful lot of the left shoulders of the rear tyres, which experience the highest tyre temperature of the year. This is the reason that we need a special construction of rear tyre for this circuit, as without the suitable level of heat resistance and durability we’d experience blistering and other ill-effects.

“Over the weekend, tyre wear was low in all respects other than the left shoulders, where it was quite high because of the temperature. Casey in particular slides the rear a lot at Phillip Island and therein lies some of his advantage, but it leads to a high rate of wear on his rear tyres. So the main challenge for us at this Grand Prix is balancing the need for a very soft right shoulder in the rear tyres with a very heat resistant left shoulder that has sufficient durability for the race without chunking or blistering. We saw signs on the rear tyres of high wear on the left side, but nothing that’s out of the ordinary or what we wouldn’t expect from Phillip Island.”

What about the laptimes during the weekend?

“Well we selected softer rear slicks for Australia this year for better warm-up performance, and we know from experience that riders will generally always prefer the softer option rear for qualifying as it provides more grip and so is faster. This weekend Casey did dip under the lap record in qualifying, using the softer rear, but there are a few factors that diluted any advantage the softer option may have provided. For a start, the circuit was much bumpier this year which did a lot to slow the riders interrupting the flow of the bike and the tyres into the corners. Also, as ever, the wind was a big factor but on race-day it was particularly strong with gusts above 50kmh, and such strong winds have a profound effect on a circuit that is so flat and open as Phillip Island. Think of it like the effect of wind across a links golf course. Overall I believe the softer compound options were a step forward as even though any laptime improvement was masked, they offered improved warm-up performance as the weather got cooler each day.”

source: motogp official

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Motegi tyre performance analysis

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Bridgestone’s Hirohide Hamashima goes into detail over tyre performance at the Grand Prix of Japan.

Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix was a dramatic event with three riders penalised for jump-starts and being given ride-through penalties, five riders crashing out in separate incidents and another four recovering and rejoining after running off-track.

All weekend the pace was very quick, as a combined result of partial resurfacing work to repair damage inflicted by the earthquake earlier this year, machine development over the past 12 months and the selection of softer compound rear slick tyre options for Motegi this year. On Saturday a new pole position record was set by Casey Stoner and in the race Dani Pedrosa set a new lap record. Pedrosa took his first premier class victory at the Honda-owned Motegi circuit ahead of Jorge Lorenzo, whilst Stoner recovered from running off track to finish third.

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

Why were the lap times so much faster at Motegi this year?

“It is true that the lap times were quite a lot faster this year – Casey’s pole time was 1.8seconds faster than last year and Dani’s new lap record was one second under the previous record and also 1.3seconds faster than last year’s fastest race lap.

“Although of course it is very difficult to quantify exactly, I believe the main reason for this improvement is the partial resurfacing of the circuit that was conducted to repair the damage caused by the March earthquake. Approximately 75 per cent of the circuit’s surface is new and there have been many races since the tarmac was laid, including most recently the IndyCar series race two weeks ago, so the grip level is very good. It is also very smooth which adds to its advantage.

“I think there are two other factors too – the hard work of the teams and the development of the machines since last year, and secondly we selected softer rear tyre options for Motegi this year and I believe this contributed, specifically on Saturday during qualifying.

“Last year, all riders raced on the medium compound rear that showed good performance and had no problems at all, which was then the softer of the two options. This year, Dani won using the same medium compound rear, but because we have gone one step softer, it was the harder of the two available options. On the same tyres, his fastest race lap was 1.3seconds faster than the best from last year, which shows combined bike and track improvements, but in qualifying when most riders recorded their best laps on the newly-allocated soft rear, the improvement over last year was 1.8seconds, so I believe this is the difference made by the softer rear tyre allocation. Based on this, we can see that bringing the soft compound rear here was worth around 0.5seconds a lap.”

Softer rear slicks were selected this time after rider requests for better warm-up – what was the feedback?

“Using the soft compound rear slicks for the first time at Motegi meant that the qualifying times in particular were faster, as I said above, but also it meant that race tyre choice was more mixed. Last year, everyone used the medium compound rear tyre for the race, but this year six riders used the medium and the remaining 12 starters chose the soft compound, which provided an interesting comparison of performance. Warm-up performance was certainly improved, even when race-day track temperature was only 26 degrees Celsius, the lowest of the weekend. But I am also happy that so many riders could get it to work consistently over race-distance, and the fact that so many used it tells me that it was right decision to revise our allocation for this year, and in doing so directly answer rider calls this year for softer compounds that reach their optimum working temperature more quickly.”

Bridgestone press release

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Bridgestone reviews a drama-filled Japanese GP

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Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa kept a level head and rode a faultless race to take HRC’s first MotoGP victory at Motegi in a dramatic Japanese Grand Prix.

Starting from fourth on the grid, Pedrosa was one of five riders to use the harder front and rear slicks and once at the front of the field, he didn’t look back and set a new lap record to round-off what has been a very fast weekend. Factory Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo followed him across the finish line in second to cut Casey Stoner’s championship lead, but only by four points to 40 with three rounds remaining.

Throughout the rest of the field though, the action was far more intense. Stoner got away to an early lead until he ran wide at turn eleven on lap five, demoting him to seventh although he fought back strongly to clinch third. The top three all used the harder front and rear slicks as the sun emerged just before the start of the race, warming the tarmac enough for some riders to change their minds about the durability of the softer rear. Every rider chose the hard compound front slicks which have been favoured all weekend because of their extra braking stability.

As the field constantly changed as a result of crashes and ride-through penalties and riders fought to regain positions, some intense battles emerged in the closing stages, especially between Simoncelli and Dovizioso who almost traded paint to finish fourth and fifth respectively. Dovizioso was the highest-placed rider to use the soft compound rear slick.

Yoshiyuki Morimoto – Vice President and Senior Officer, Bridgestone Corporation

“I would like to congratulate the Repsol Honda Team and Dani Pedrosa for their excellent victory here today at the home circuit of HRC. We are honoured to have been able to support this Japanese Grand Prix especially after the earthquake earlier this year and for MotoGP to have shown such solidarity with the Japanese people. MotoGP remains a very important platform for us and Bridgestone will continue to strive to provide tyres of consistently high quality and safety and a fair tyre service to all teams.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

“With the incidents on track that was a very frantic race for all but Dani and Jorge who avoided trouble to stay in front. The sun emerged shortly before the race start which meant the tarmac got hotter and with race tyre choice so dependent on the weather, many riders made their selection last minute. The hard front was always favoured for its extra stability under braking, but rear tyre choice was more mixed. With the top four riders, clearly the harder rear was the faster choice, but I am pleased that even our soft compound allowed Álvaro to run in third for a time, and we could see that until the end Andrea was able to fight hard with Marco, who used the harder rear.”

Bridgestone press release

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Bridgestone MotoGP Preview - Round 15: Japan

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The original date was set for 24 April but the natural disasters and subsequent crisis in Japan forced the postponement, so the event now lies one week before an overseas back-to-back pair of races on Australia and Malaysia. The date change puts the race at the same time of year as it was held last season, so the weather conditions are expected to be similar – around 25 degrees Celsius ambient. This means that the tyre compound options are unchanged, but with the addition of the third soft compound front slicks, although the rear asymmetric slicks have been modified slightly.

Compared to last year the left shoulders of the rear slicks are now one step softer for improved warm-up and safety in the opening laps, in response to rider feedback. The Medium compound rear has a soft compound left shoulder whereas the Soft compound rear uses Bridgestone’s extra soft rubber in the left side. This season the extra soft compound rubber will be used at a total of eight Grands Prix.

The 4.8km Motegi circuit features four long and fast straights, and its layout is characterised by hard acceleration followed by heavy braking. This places the emphasis on front tyre stability and a strong centre section, and good traction from the rear tyre. With eight right-handed corners and just six lefts, warm-up performance from the left side of the rear tyres is particularly important hence the use of softer compounds this year to improve rider safety in the early laps and in the instance of cold conditions.

The fastest corner of the circuit is turn six, the 180+kmh 130R, which leads into a fast and flowing left-right section through which absolute confidence in the bike and tyres is critical.

Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department

“There has been much talk about Japan this season because of the events earlier in the year but I am honoured and proud to see so much support for our nation and for the Japanese GP within the paddock. Motegi has always been an important event for Bridgestone and one at which we have reached many milestones so I am looking forward to going, enjoying what I hope will be a great race, and doing what we can to show our support for Japan.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

“Being held at the same time as it was last year we can expect the conditions at Motegi to be similar and therefore we have not revised our tyre options this season, but we have made one change based on rider comments. We have made the left shoulders of the rear asymmetric slicks one step softer, meaning that we are also using our extra soft compound for the first time at this circuit. We saw in Aragon that warm-up performance was very good and tyre wear was relatively high, but Motegi is cooler and the surface less abrasive so durability should be better.

Bridgestone press release

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Masao Azuma, Bridgestone, analyzes Aragon GP

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After last year's inaugural event in MotorLand, the second edition of the GP of Aragon gave the drivers and teams, as well as Bridgestone, the advantage of experience. But there are always imponderables in any race weekend. On Friday and Saturday were developed with very high temperatures, but the race day had lots of clouds blocking the sun's rays and blew a strong wind that kept much lower temperatures. However, Casey Stoner set a record for the pole and a new lap record on his way to victory, beating Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. The tire wear was a major element in the race and therefore a good management of them and efficient tuning were particularly relevant.

Commenting on these aspects and their impact on the race, Masao Azuma, Chief Engineer Field Bridgestone Motorsport , said:

"The tire wear was, of course, a crucial factor in the race, but was within our expectations. Was faster for some than for others, as expected, but for example we can see that Casey, though filmed in slower times from mid career, completed in a consistent and seamless manageability. "

"In this high level of competition, the choice of tire compounds is always a balance between performance to take temperature and durability in the race distance. Optimise one at the expense of the other. This season the drivers have specifically requested improve the performance tires the heating phase to improve security in the early laps, and for that we have been willing to sacrifice some durability in the race distance, that is exactly what we've seen that happening on Sunday "Japanese coach continues.

"Looking at the lap times, we see that the performance of the tires in the initial phase was very good, although the track temperature was 13 º C cooler than at the Grand Prix last year. Casey rolled under record when he had just made two laps in the race and set a new record on lap four. And the ten fastest drivers signed their best times in the first six laps, you can not ask for much more in terms of heating. And as I said, the other side of this, as you know the drivers, is that the tire performance will fall later in the race because durability is not so good. "

"The asphalt and the conditions in Aragon also contributed to the tire wear. The track was very dirty on Friday when it started to run, and tire wear was very high, again as expected. In the end week went clean, but when the race was still disputed dirty off line main, so that pilots were kept more for this battle since they rolled off the ideal line to have to attack or defend . The tire wear was not an issue in the race, but it was a factor. "

Why was there a step forward in the medium compound front and the extra drive? Azuma explains:

"From our experience last year, we knew that the stability of the front tire would be crucial, especially when braking downhill, and would need to achieve good wear resistance and durability. Half and extra hard compounds operate in temperatures well similar and can thus be used in a same environment, but we chose the medium compound for pilots who want a better grip, and gave good results for Alvaro and Suzuki, while the harder compound offering better stability and greater resistance wear. Given the conditions he had on Sunday, the extra hard rubber was chosen by most of the drivers for the race. "

source: motogp official website

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Bridgestone previews Aragón round

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Motorland Aragón's surface is relatively smooth and slippery, so softer rear tyre compound options have been selected: the soft and medium rear symmetric slicks. Front slick options are more unusual however as the available compounds are medium and extra hard, the same as were offered in Qatar. This is because the location of the circuit means that sand can be blown onto the tarmac overnight, leading to a higher rate of abrasion particularly to the front tyre as it tends to push more into corners on the slippery sand, just like in Qatar, and the extra hard compound has far greater wear and graining resistance. There are also a number of fast downhill braking zones which demand good front-end stability, and some riders may favour the extra hard compound for the benefit it offers in this area. Additionally this year, as per the new regulations, a third option of soft compound front slicks will be provided for cold conditions.

Motorland Aragón has a balanced nature in terms of the demands placed on the right and the left shoulders of the tyres, so for this reason asymmetric rear slicks have not been selected, making the GP one of only four this season where the popular asymmetric rears won’t be used.

Looking closely at last year’s data and rider comments, it has not been necessary to revise tyre compound options for the Aragón GP this year. Based on the circuit analysis and scientific approach to tyre selection last year, Bridgestone are confident that the choices made then are still the best suited to the circuit now. The only difference is the addition of the third soft compound front slick tyre for the cooler conditions, and this could feature more heavily in the morning sessions this weekend than it has done in the past three GPs.

Current championship leader Casey Stoner won the inaugural Aragón GP for Ducati ahead of Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden, with Jorge Lorenzo fourth. After Lorenzo’s victory in Misano last time out closing the gap in the overall standings, the championship race will intensify as MotoGP embarks upon the last five rounds of the season.

Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department

“Of course last year Aragón was a totally new circuit to MotoGP but I was very impressed with it and certainly there was a lot of good feedback from everybody in the paddock. I am pleased that we are going back this year as it is an exciting and quite dramatic circuit, and with the benefit of last year’s experience not only is our job easier as we do not need to conduct more scientific analysis of the circuit and its tarmac, but we can also be very confident of our tyre compound choices. As the championship fight gathers pace entering the last period of the season, I hope that we will see more good battles not just for the entertainment of the fans but us inside the paddock too!”

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

“Run for the first time in 2010, we now have the benefit of last year’s data to draw upon for this season which has allowed us to verify that last year’s compound choices were well suited and don’t need revising. The Aragón track surface is relatively smooth and slippery, similar to Misano, so we need good grip which suggests softer compounds, but there are also some long corners and some downhill braking points which require greater stability and thus harder compounds. Last year, although we chose tyre compounds based on exhaustive and accurate scientific study of the circuit, including taking latex moulds to take back to Japan for closer inspection, it was still a totally new challenge for us but I am pleased that we can look back and say that we did a good job.”

Bridgestone slick compounds available at Aragón: Front: Soft, Medium, Ex Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium.

source: motogp official website

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San Marino Grand Prix debrief with Hirohide Hamashima

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The San Marino GP was won by Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo who sealed his third victory of the season, closing Casey Stoner’s lead in the Championship standings to 35 points with 125 points still available from the remaining five Grands Prix.

The hot and humid weekend encountered a few falling rain drops on Friday and again on Sunday at the start of the race, though the conditions remained dry. The weekend was the first time that Bridgestone selected asymmetric rear slicks for Misano in the single tyre era, and the lap times were fast. As early as Friday morning, the leaders were under the lap record, with Stoner setting a new pole position record, and Lorenzo set a new lap record.

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division

This year asymmetric rear slicks were selected for Misano – what effect did they have? 

“I think that we can see clearly from the lap times that the pace was much faster this year, and thoough we cannot attribute it all to our tyres, we can at least say that the asymmetric rears offered a distinct performance advantage. To be under the lap record from the very first session of the weekend on a Friday morning is very unusual and impressive, and that pace continued all weekend. In qualifying, Stoner set a new pole position record, and in the race Lorenzo set a new lap record and new total fastest race time. This shows us that outright grip was high and durability and consistency over race-distance were also good.”

“The objective of selecting asymmetric slicks for Misano this year was to increase rider feeling and thus safety on the lesser-used left side of the rear tyres and to offer a performance advantage, and I can happily say that I believe we achieved both of these.”

Many lap records have been beaten since 2009, so why is it so significant to set a new pole record? 

“Simply because most of the current pole position records were set before the single tyre situation started in 2009, so in the era of tyre competition. This was when qualifying tyres were used – designed to provide maximum grip at the expense of durability, lasting only a handful of laps. From our experience, qualifying tyres are in the region of one second a lap faster than race tyres. Now, since 2009, we no longer use qualifying tyres so Casey’s pole position record was set on race tyres. This is only the eighth pole record that has been set since 2009 and of those, two were at Silverstone and Aragon which were new circuits last year, one was at Assen which was shortened by 13m in 2010, and two more were at Mugello and Indianapolis which had new and improved surfaces. Of course, this cannot be credited just to tyres and this improvement in laptime also demonstrates the hard work of the manufacturers in improving machine performance year-on-year.”

“This gives an idea of the level of performance during the San Marino GP over the weekend, and I am very pleased indeed with this, especially as we saw that exactly the same tyre compounds as used by Casey on his pole record lap were used in the race to set a new best total race time, so clearly the additional performance of our asymmetric rear slicks was not at the expense of durability. I believe this shows the level of development we are still doing with our MotoGP tyres, and that we are not simply standing still now there is no tyre competition.”

Bridgestone press release

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Bridgestone prepared for new Indianapolis surface

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MotoGP travels to the United States of America for the second time this season for the Indianapolis Grand Prix on 28 August, round 12 of the 18-race series. The inaugural Indianapolis Grand Prix was only held in 2008 but for this year’s Grand Prix 1.5 miles of the 2.6 mile circuit has been resurfaced so half the circuit is new, posing a new challenge for Bridgestone’s tyres.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, affectionately known as the Brickyard, is formed of three distinct parts; the famous oval, the infield road circuit built for Formula One in 1999, and the opening complex built specifically for MotoGP. Whereas in past years each section of the circuit has a markedly different surface which offered a different level of grip, now initial feedback indicates that the resurfacing work has made the grip level much more consistent and the tarmac much smoother, which will help the riders and also the tyres as bumps interrupt the rubber’s contact patch.

In theory this will make it easier on the tyres as previously the multitude of different surfaces in a lap demanded a lot from them but the surface is also brand new so a relative unknown, although Nicky Hayden did test the new surface after the last American round at Laguna Seca and his feedback was very positive.

Nevertheless Bridgestone’s tyre compound selections are unchanged this season, although with the addition of the third softer front slick option to maximise warm-up performance and rider safety in conditions that are colder than expected.

The circuit’s layout places much higher demands on the left shoulders of the tyres and in fact it is one of the hardest circuits of the season for the left shoulders of the rear tyres because of the number, length and speed of the left-handers and the abrasiveness of the tarmac. For this reason it is the only Grand Prix this season to which the extra hard compound rear slicks have been selected, although both rear tyre options feature Bridgestone’s soft compound rubber in the right shoulders.

Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department:

“This week we’re back in America again, now in the east in Indianapolis as opposed to last time we were there five weeks ago at Laguna Seca on the west coast. It’s clear that Indianapolis is working hard for the benefit of MotoGP with all their recent resurfacing work and we are happy to be going again to such an historic circuit. Indy is a vast place so I hope that we can see many spectators in the huge grandstands! Even though Casey’s win last time out extended his championship lead over Jorge, we’ve only just started the second half of the season and there’s a long way to go until the title is decided so I fully expect to see the championship fight really gathering pace in Indy and the remaining six Grands Prix.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Assistant to Director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division:

“Reports are that IMS have done a great job resurfacing the circuit which will make for more consistent conditions this year. It won’t change the physical demands placed on our tyres, because the corners are still the same and haven’t been re-profiled, so we haven’t changed our compound selection from last year other than with the addition of the third spec of front tyre with the new regulations. The speed may be a little higher because the tarmac and the grip will be more consistent, whereas in the past there were clear changes in the circuit character from the opening section designed for MotoGP to the Formula One infield to the famous oval. The tarmac is much smoother now which will also help as bumps interrupt the tyres’ contact patch and we saw a few falls last year because of this.

“Indianapolis is a relatively hard circuit for the left shoulders of our rear tyres in particular because of the speed and long nature of left-handed corners such as turn one and turn five. Being leant over for a relatively long time at speed creates some of the highest rear tyre temperatures of the year, and for this reason Indianapolis is the only Grand Prix all year for which we have selected the extra hard compound rubber in the left side of the rear slick tyres.”

Bridgestone press release

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