Stoner dominates on Bridgestone wet tyres at soaked Silverstone

Casey Stoner completed an excellent victory in very wet conditions at the British MotoGP Grand Prix at Silverstone, ascending in the process to top the World Championship. Heavy rain left standing water on the circuit, testing Bridgestone’s wet tyres, while spray reduced visibility at the first fully-wet race since the Malaysian Grand Prix at the end of 2009. Ben Spies, Jorge Lorenzo and Marco Simoncelli all crashed out whilst running towards the front, while Colin Edwards completed a remarkable recovery, finishing third after breaking his collarbone nine days earlier during the opening day of the Catalunya Grand Prix.

Taka Horio, general manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department stated: “For Casey to have taken the championship lead after such a tough race is very fitting as he is showing he is very deserving of it at the moment. He and the Repsol Honda Team are working very well together, and it was also a good weekend for Andrea and it is good to see him on the podium again. What Colin achieved today is remarkable, coming back so soon after his injury and then finishing on the podium. I’d also like to say congratulations to Silverstone circuit for all the work they have put into the new ‘Wing’ complex we used this weekend. I believe they have done a great job and delivered a motorsport facility to be proud of.”
 
Hirohide Hamashima – assistant to director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division: “Firstly I must say that the conditions today were made incredibly challenging by the amount of standing water around the circuit. The amount of spray showed just how wet the tarmac was, and the fact that we saw three crashes amongst the leaders shows just how easy it was to make a mistake. Casey however showed very good laptimes from early on even when there was so much water which was very impressive. By the end of the race the rain had eased and there was less standing water which made the times slightly faster, although those at the front had eased off to manage their gaps. I am pleased with the performance of our wet tyres in these soaking and cold conditions as they dealt adequately with puddles that got deeper as the race went on and the times were consistent.”
 
Stoner conveyed how difficult the race had been, not least from the point of view of making sure he pushed hard enough to keep the tyres in the best possible condition: “It was so easy to make a mistake as it was cold and we were aquaplaning more. I think the hardest thing was keeping the tyre temperatures up. If you slowed down too much the tyres would cool and it’d feel more nervous, in a vicious cycle. I’m very happy with this race and to come away with three wins in a row and with the championship lead is awesome.”

Related news:

• Stoner triumphs in tricky conditions at Catalunya
• Increased safety behind Bridgestone MotoGP tyre development in closed era
• Stoner dominates on soft Bridgestone rear MotoGP tyre