MotoGP Feature - The Hiroshi Yamada Interview
11/08/2006
After five gruelling race events in six weekends, MotoGP is enjoying
something of a luxurious break before the racing season continues in
the Czech Republic next week.
With only six races to go of the
2006 championship, Bridgestone Motorsport’s Motorcycle Racing Manager
Hiroshi Yamada takes time to reflect on the first eleven races of the
year, reviewing the highs and lows of Bridgestone’s most competitive
season at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing in only its fifth year of
MotoGP participation.
How would you summarise Bridgestone’s 2006 MotoGP season so far?
“It
has been a contrasting season for Bridgestone so far with some
excellent results in the initial race weekends followed by some tough
races recently in the hectic June and July period.
We scored our
first race win of the season with Loris Capirossi and Ducati in the
opening race at Jerez, which was also our first ever race win on
European soil. We have also seen some strong podium finishes from Loris
elsewhere in Qatar, Le Mans and Mugello, as well as one from Shinya
Nakano and Kawasaki in Assen.
Suzuki has also been tantalisingly
close to the podium with three pole positions, two fourth-placed
finishes from John Hopkins in China and Spain and a near-miss from
Chris Vermeulen, who was running in a podium position until the final
laps of the last race at Laguna Seca.
We have also seen
Bridgestone-shod bikes take five pole positions with four different
riders and we have seen at least one front row start for a
Bridgestone-shod bike in ten out of the eleven races so far.”
What were the initial aims and targets at the start of this 2006 season?
“We
set ourselves quite ambitious targets at the beginning of the season,
but quite realistic targets based on the results we achieved in 2005.
We scored two wins in 2005 and two in 2004, so we want to double that
in 2006
Likewise we scored eight podiums last year, so we want
to break into double figures this season with top three results from
each of our teams. It is only Bridgestone’s fifth year of participation
in MotoGP, so our rivals are able to draw from a far more extensive
database of tyre information.
We must work on a step-by-step
basis, building up our operations and competitiveness year-by-year as
our own database expands.”
Did you expect the first race win of the year to come so early in the season?
“I
personally did not dream of starting the season in such a successful
way, but during the pre-event test at Jerez it was clear that
Bridgestone runners held a distinct advantage at that track at that
time.
In similar conditions this advantage prevailed for race
week with an all-Bridgestone front row (the two Ducatis of Loris and
Sete Gibernau in first and second with Shinya Nakano’s Kawasaki third).
The
subsequent victory really proved that our off-season winter tyre
development was correct, but the Jerez win certainly did not mean the
end of development work. We can never rest because our rivals are
always chasing the same target – the top step of the podium.”
Why has it been so difficult to repeat that Jerez win?
“We
came close to repeating that win and were able to challenge the
frontrunners at numerous races, including Qatar, Le Mans and Mugello
where Loris finished on the podium, and more recently at Laguna Seca
where a technical problem prevented Chris Vermeulen from battling for a
victory.
However, our rivals have also worked hard. All the
Honda riders have performed consistently well during the season and
Valentino is always a threat, which has made it a fascinating and
closely-run championship this year.
We have to stay on top of
our game in every respect of tyre performance, so too do our teams and
riders with the bike. The entire package has to work in unison at all
times - that means bike, rider and tyre.”
Have you been disappointed with how the season has progressed since that phenomenal start?
“Overall,
I am quite pleased with the season up to now, but that victory in the
opening race, coupled with the increased level of performance from our
Bridgestone tyres in other events has raised our expectations quite a
bit for the remaining events of the season.
Certain races of the
year have been disappointing, for example Donington and Istanbul, but
we still showed a marked upturn in our competitiveness at these tracks
compared to 2005, from which we derive encouragement for the future.
Admittedly, the race results were not as good as we had hoped, but it
proves that we are heading in the right direction.”
What is the outlook for the remaining races of the year?
“We
head to Czech Republic next week on the back of a frenetic run of five
races in six weekends which was especially tough because it contained
several tracks which have traditionally not been kind to us.
The
added challenges of racing at these circuits have left us with only a
handful of good results in recent weeks and have left us hungry for a
return to podium and race-winning ways. Brno starts a run of four
tracks followed by Sepang, Motegi and Philip Island where I believe
each of our teams can be among the lead pack.
We secured podium
finishes at each of these venues in 2005, including victory in Motegi
and Malaysia, so we should be optimistic for a similar performance this
year.”
Looking ahead to 2007, there has been a lot of
talk about the new tyre regulations. Has any decision been made on this
issue yet?
“Tyre regulations have been a talking point for most
of the season and even before that, but after the Donington GP all
three tyre manufacturers jointly submitted a series of proposed
regulations to Dorna for further discussion with the GP commission.
No
finite decision has yet been made, but the fact that the tyre
manufacturers, Bridgestone, Michelin and Dunlop, have all signed and
agreed on a set of regulations is already a positive step in my
opinion.”
What is Bridgestone’s opinion on the tyre regulations?
“I
do not wish to disclose any details of the proposals until such time
that the 2007 regulations are confirmed, but the basis of our
discussions stems from a common desire to reduce costs in the sport.”
Finally, is Bridgestone still thinking of the 2006 championship title?
“Loris
still occupies fifth place in the championship in spite of the after
effects of the Catalunya crash which negated his fitness levels for the
subsequent races. His determination has kept him in with a mathematical
chance of challenging for the championship even though he is now 68
points adrift of the lead.
With a run of favoured tracks coming
up in August and September, I hope Bridgestone tyres can help each of
our teams and riders add a lot of points to their respective tallies.”