MotoGP
Dunlop will test nine separate specifications of rear tyre at Australia’s Phillip Island circuit as it seeks to avoid similar problems to those that caused the Moto2 and Bridgestone-supplied MotoGP races to be shortened in October 2013. The circuit was resurfaced in 2013, and its abrasiveness caused the organisers of the Australian grand prix to […]
On 10 March, three new sizes will join Bridgestone’s Battlax Hypersport S20 Evo sport radial tyre range. These include one front and two rear sizes, in dimensions popular on 250cc and other light/middle weight motorcycles. Bridgestone will initially launch the tyres in Japan and will then introduce them in other global markets.
Speaking at the close of this year’s MotoGP season, Bridgestone’s motorsport manager Hiroshi Yamada shared that in 2014 the tyre maker’s race experience will be brought to market in a pair of new products. “We will be releasing two production Battlax motorcycle road tyres next year that will draw on recent MotoGP technological developments,” commented Yamada. “Both these tyres will probably be the purest example to date of our ‘racetrack to road’ concept and will offer exceptionally high levels of safety, performance and control to consumers.” The motorsport manager added that 2014 will be a “big year for Bridgestone both on and off-track.”
Following high profile controversies in major 2013 series, are the pressures placed on premium brand tyre manufacturers becoming too much to handle? Or are the pressures and the expensive compromises more than justified by the marketing and branding gains yielded from being the exclusive supplier of globally recognised motorsport?
Exclusive tyre supplier Bridgestone has congratulated Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez on becoming only the second ever rookie winner of the MotoGP World Championship, after his third place finish was enough to beat the other podium finishers Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa at Valencia Circuito Ricardo Tormo.
Jorge Lorenzo’s victory at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi means the Yamaha Factory Racing rider has set up an intriguing final round in Valencia, where the championship leader, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez will seek to fend off Lorenzo’s challenge. Marquez finished second in Japan, limiting the extent to which Lorenzo could close the gap at the top; a similar finish in the last of three rounds held in both riders’ home nation would present Marquez with the title. Shinichi Yamashita, general manager of MotoGP supplier Bridgestone’s Motorsport Tyre Development Department, said he was happy with the performance of the manufacturer’s softer allocation this year, despite the lack of time to practice due to rain.
Dunlop has announced a softer set of compounds than in 2012 for the Japanese Moto2 and Moto3 races. The announcement comes one week after the Australian grand prix at Phillip Island, where the new aggressive track surface led to shortened races in both the Moto2 and Bridgestone-supplied MotoGP.
Shinji Aoki, manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department, explains that the “rear slick tyre allocation we supplied for the Australian Grand Prix experienced extreme temperatures which affected their durability.” The race was reduced from 27 laps to 19, including an enforced pit stop at half way after Bridgestone data from practice showed the hard rear slick should do a maximum stint of 14 laps. The tyre supplier of the supporting Moto2 race Dunlop encountered similar issues, with its race also run over a reduced distance.
Bridgestone has announced its dual strategic intentions for its stand at the 65th International Motor Show for Cars in Frankfurt. The manufacturer will divide its stand between a “current zone” with its “Everywhere” brand marketing platform and premium tyre range, and a “future zone”, which will focus on concept tyres, including one made with “100 per cent sustainable material”. The show takes place on 10-22 September, and Bridgestone Europe’s 320m² stand will be located at D03 in Hall 8.
It only got underway in early June, yet within less than two months Bridgestone’s new ‘Everywhere’ campaign website has received a million visits from across Europe. The beeneverywhere.eu site and campaign, which is video-rich and pairs with social media, is described by Bridgestone Europe as innovative and fun, a tweaking of the Bridgestone ‘Your Journey, Our Passion’ corporate slogan with an interactive road trip ‘driven by you’.
Leading European performance brakes brand Brembo is continuing to diversify its global strategy in a bid to tackle sales figures that continue to fall in much of its traditionally strong markets. In the first quarter of 2013, the German and, to a lesser extent based on the relatively good performance of its automotive manufacturing, UK markets were the only two to increase sales, while domestic Italian and southern Europe continued to look weak. However, growing sales in the USA and China are prompting global investment, such as the 115 million euro investment the manufacturer recently announced to expand its US and Brazilian operations. And the company has continued to indulge its penchant for spectacle, with involvement in top-level motorsport series, such as MotoGP and Formula One, and Hollywood blockbusters driving its continued premium brand marketing.
Leicester’s Sandeep Chudasama beat thousands of bikers across Europe to meet MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi in a Bridgestone promotion. He won the prize in the manufacturer’s ‘Mission Rossi’ tyre sales competition after purchasing a set of Battlax Sport Touring T30 tyres online from the Bike Tyres dealer in Leeds, after which he was automatically entered into the Mission Rossi giveaway. He flew out to Sachsenring, Germany for the latest round of the MotoGP championship with Bike Tyres’ centre manager Lance Jessop.
Jorge Lorenzo took his Yamaha to a second successive MotoGP victory on Sunday, as tyre management came into play in sweltering conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya. Several riders crashed out as a result of reduced front-end grip, and Lorenzo spoke of the challenge provided by the conditions: “Today was the hottest race this year and physically it was very hard.” He later suggested to Autosport.com that the front tyre may have been “too soft”, while adding that the riders were requesting harder compounds from tyre supplier, Bridgestone. Shinji Aoki, manager of Bridgestone Motorsport’s Tyre Development Department, pointed out that all works riders had chosen to use the softer rear slick, which he said had performed well given the harsh conditions.
Bridgestone has launched its latest online marketing campaign, utilising a new website, beeneverywhere.eu, social media and video in its effort to position the brand as “innovative and interactive”. Revolving around exploring the world, the video is set to a soundtrack based on Johnny Cash’s ‘I’ve been everywhere, man’. Jake Rønsholt, general manager, corporate and brand communications at Bridgestone Europe explained: “Part of the beauty of the campaign is that visitors to the main site can do exactly that, on just about any device.
Armagh motorcyclist David Hoy will meet nine-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi after he became the winner of Bridgestone’s European ‘Mission Rossi’ competition. The 46 year-old will fly out to the Netherlands for the Assen round of the MotoGP championship, where he will receive VIP passes, accommodation, and a private meet and greet with the Italian legend.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.