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Bridgestone Likely To Be MotoGP Single Tire Supplier For 2009
Submitted by Kropotkin on Wed, 2008-09-24 12:22. in Carmelo Ezpeleta Dorna
The switch to a single tire in MotoGP is moving from the probable to the inevitable with some alacrity now. There had been rumors that an announcement would be made at Motegi, as discussed earlier, and now, more details are starting to emerge.
One problem with the proposed switch was that Bridgestone, the tire company that the teams and riders preferred, had professed that they weren't interested in providing tires for the entire grid in MotoGP. This would have meant that though the riders would get the single tire that 17 out of 18 of the MotoGP regulars had backed, it would most likely be provided either by Michelin or by Dunlop.
Now, though, it appears that Bridgestone have finally caved in to Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta's pressure. Motorcycle News is reporting that the Japanese tire maker have agreed to submit a tender for the MotoGP tire contract, after Bridgestone senior management met with Ezpeleta at the Valencia Formula 1 Grand Prix.
As the process is supposed to involve an open call for tenders, with the contract being awarded on the basis of the submitted proposals, it is widely believed that Bridgestone has the contract for the asking. Neither Valentino Rossi nor Dani Pedrosa, the series two biggest-hitting players, would be at all happy to be forced back onto the Michelins they spent so much of their political capital getting rid of, and reigning champion Casey Stoner has been similarly disparaging about the French tires.
Both Michelin and Dunlop are expected to submit tenders for the contract, but are unlikely to win. Which begs the question of what Michelin will do once the MotoGP contract goes to Bridgestone. The 250 and 125 classes are de facto single tire series, but only because Dunlop is the only tire maker prepared to invest in the smaller series. If Michelin is forced out of MotoGP, and with Pirelli having tied up the World Superbike tire contract until the end of 2012, Michelin could choose to enter the smaller classes as the only outlet for raising their profile on the global stage.
With MotoGP going to a single tire, this also raises the question of what will happen in the 125 and 250 classes. Corner speeds for the small capacity bikes are already at least as fast as in MotoGP, and so the argument could be made for a spec tire in 125s and 250s as well. And with Dunlop providing everyone except a few wildcards with rubber, it would be relatively easy to implement, with one small problem: The MotoGP contract is believed to specify that tires will be provided to the teams free of charge. Dunlop currently sees a fair return on the tires it sells to the teams, and being forced to provide tires for free would make supplying the minor classes a much less attractive prospect.
For the moment, this is still speculation to some degree. This weekend, once the official announcements start being made, that speculation will start to come to an end.
Source:
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp...yres-for-2009/
More...
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Bridgestone Likely To Be MotoGP Single Tire Supplier For 2009
Submitted by Kropotkin on Wed, 2008-09-24 12:22. in Carmelo Ezpeleta Dorna
The switch to a single tire in MotoGP is moving from the probable to the inevitable with some alacrity now. There had been rumors that an announcement would be made at Motegi, as discussed earlier, and now, more details are starting to emerge.
One problem with the proposed switch was that Bridgestone, the tire company that the teams and riders preferred, had professed that they weren't interested in providing tires for the entire grid in MotoGP. This would have meant that though the riders would get the single tire that 17 out of 18 of the MotoGP regulars had backed, it would most likely be provided either by Michelin or by Dunlop.
Now, though, it appears that Bridgestone have finally caved in to Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta's pressure. Motorcycle News is reporting that the Japanese tire maker have agreed to submit a tender for the MotoGP tire contract, after Bridgestone senior management met with Ezpeleta at the Valencia Formula 1 Grand Prix.
As the process is supposed to involve an open call for tenders, with the contract being awarded on the basis of the submitted proposals, it is widely believed that Bridgestone has the contract for the asking. Neither Valentino Rossi nor Dani Pedrosa, the series two biggest-hitting players, would be at all happy to be forced back onto the Michelins they spent so much of their political capital getting rid of, and reigning champion Casey Stoner has been similarly disparaging about the French tires.
Both Michelin and Dunlop are expected to submit tenders for the contract, but are unlikely to win. Which begs the question of what Michelin will do once the MotoGP contract goes to Bridgestone. The 250 and 125 classes are de facto single tire series, but only because Dunlop is the only tire maker prepared to invest in the smaller series. If Michelin is forced out of MotoGP, and with Pirelli having tied up the World Superbike tire contract until the end of 2012, Michelin could choose to enter the smaller classes as the only outlet for raising their profile on the global stage.
With MotoGP going to a single tire, this also raises the question of what will happen in the 125 and 250 classes. Corner speeds for the small capacity bikes are already at least as fast as in MotoGP, and so the argument could be made for a spec tire in 125s and 250s as well. And with Dunlop providing everyone except a few wildcards with rubber, it would be relatively easy to implement, with one small problem: The MotoGP contract is believed to specify that tires will be provided to the teams free of charge. Dunlop currently sees a fair return on the tires it sells to the teams, and being forced to provide tires for free would make supplying the minor classes a much less attractive prospect.
For the moment, this is still speculation to some degree. This weekend, once the official announcements start being made, that speculation will start to come to an end.
Source:
http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sp...yres-for-2009/
More...
