MotoGP News - Bridgestone Ready for 2007 Challenge
13/12/2006
Bridgestone tyre engineers at Tokyo are hard at work in the wake of the final MotoGP tests, analysing data and evaluating new ideas.
But although the 2007 motorcycles represent a whole new generation – engine size down from almost one litre to 800cc – results so far suggest there will be relatively minor changes to tyres.
“We tried something new in shape and construction at the last Jerez tests at the end of November, but the current 2006 tyres already worked very well, with very good lap times and no complaints,” said Hiroshi Yamada, Bridgestone Motorsport Manager of Motorcycle Racing.
Bridgestone riders dominated lap times on race tyres, although final fastest times at Jerez were set using soft qualifying tyres.
Engineers are now designing new tyres and trying new ideas, preparing for the next round of tests late in January, said Yamada.
“We will have new things to try there as well – but honestly this is normal. We would also take new developments if the machines were the same as last year,” he continued.
“Of course, at the first tests of the new bikes, riders were still establishing basic settings, so there is still a lot to learn,” said Yamada. But so far, it seemed that Bridgestones direction of tyre development will work well with the new bikes without radical changes.