Tyre options altered in GP paddock
Added on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 by Carole Nash Editor
Tyre options altered in GP paddock
Riders in the MotoGP paddock will have more flexibility in their tyre choice later this season after Dorna opted to adjust the recently revised tyre supply regulations.
Following Dorna’s decision to install Bridgestone as the championship’s exclusive tyre supplier and a the introduction of a raft of cost cutting measures, riders were limited to an allocation of eight front tyres per race weekend, half of which being of the hard compound and the other four of the softer compound.
That has posed problems for riders with a clear preference over one particular compound and MotoGP chiefs have now decided to relax the front tyre regulations and offer teams and riders more flexibility in their decisions.
Starting at round seven in Assen, teams will be able to dictate how many soft and hard compound tyres that they would prefer within their allocation of eight.
Under the new ruling, teams will be able to choose from three of the softer “A specification” compound and five “B specification” hard compound tyres, five soft and three hard or an equal split as currently exists.
The rear tyre allocation of six soft and six hard will remain unchanged.
“During the preceding Grand Prix (or the official test organised by Dorna/IRTA, in case of the first Grand Prix), the tyre supplier will inform the teams of the two front tyre specifications that will be available for the next Grand Prix,” said the statement.
“Teams must inform the tyre supplier of the number of each front slick specification required no later than 2 hours after the MotoGP race finish of this preceding Grand Prix (or 2 hours after the end of the final session of the official test, in case of the first Grand Prix). This allocation request will be final and no changes are permitted after this time.”
Meanwhile, Bridgestone have revealed that a “foreign object” was the cause of the frightening level of wear on Dani Pedrosa’s front slick during the Japanese Grand Prix in April.
Investigations by the manufacturer found a small object embedded in the tyre, resulting in severe splitting in the Honda rider’s front race tyre.
“Since Motegi we have also learned more about Dani’s front tyre,” read a statement. “After a detailed inspection, we found a small foreign object that had become embedded within the tread of the front slick. This was the origin of a weak point in the tread of the tyre which, during the course of the race, worked its way to the surface, causing a crack to form in the rubber.”
