Bridgestone seeks US MotoGP performance upgrade

MotoGP tyre supplier Bridgestone is taking a softer rear compound to the US Grand Prix this weekend in the hope that they will provide a further performance improvement to that of the asymmetric rears Bridgestone supplied to west coast California’s Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last year. Hirohide Hamashima – assistant to director, Motorsport Tyre Development Division explained: “Last year at Laguna we saw an improvement in tyre performance when we selected our asymmetric rear slicks for the first time in the single supply era there, and I hope by choosing softer rear compounds this season we will see another step forward in performance.

“The conditions, especially in the mornings, can be quite cool as Laguna so our softer rears will improve warm-up performance, especially through the right-handers. There are fewer rights than lefts at the circuit, and the first two, turns three and four, are 90 degree corners which are more challenging for warm-up.

“Long corners allow the tyres to be leant over and gradually build up heat throughout the corner, but 90 degree turns require a quick change of direction and the shoulder of the tyre, the right shoulder in the case of Laguna, to warm-up very quickly indeed. This is where the introduction of softer specs, and our extra soft compound in the right shoulders of the rear slick tyres, will be most beneficial. The Corkscrew is also really demanding corner with the fast change of direction and elevation, and a strong front tyre and good front-end feeling for the riders is essential with the general elevation changes in the lap.”

Bridgestone’s asymmetric rear slick tyres helped improve grip through the right-handers, and the softer option in 2011 features Bridgestone’s extra soft compound rubber designed for the cool morning sessions. In the afternoon the weather at the Monterey peninsula can be very different with ambient and track temperatures markedly higher. This large variation in temperature between the morning and afternoon sessions is tough from a tyre perspective because in the morning good warm-up performance is needed whereas in the afternoon it is durability and wear resistance that are crucial and striking this balance is challenging.

The softer compounds will help improve and accelerate warm-up performance in general, whilst the softer right shoulders are designed in particular to maximise grip and feel in the early laps through turns three, four and ten, the circuit’s main right-handed corners. The circuit’s elevation changes, particularly through the Corkscrew complex, require a well-balanced machine setup and place a lot of importance on front tyre stability, so for this reason the front tyre compounds remain unchanged.

Laguna Seca is the shortest circuit on the calendar with a very short main straight. This meaning that the bikes and therefore the tyres spend little time upright and therefore have less time to cool down, resulting in higher residual tyre temperatures than the ambient and track conditions would suggest.

Hiroshi Yamada – manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department explained the importance of the US Grand Prix to the company: “America is a very important market for us so I am looking forward to going to Laguna, especially as the circuit has created some very thrilling and memorable races over the years. The US GP is the last of the very busy summer run that has seen six races in the past eight weeks, so whilst of course it is important to maintain momentum, everyone will be looking forward to a little break after this weekend. We have changed our tyre selection for this race to offer the riders a softer rear tyre choice as we shift our focus very much to warm-up performance, and because being so close to the coast the conditions can be cool on a morning. After this race our wider tyre allocation change comes into effect from the Czech Republic GP, but already Laguna is the sixth race of the season that we have brought softer tyres to.”

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