MotoGP News - Gresini Switch To Bridgestone
06/11/2006
Fresh from four race wins in 2006, Team Honda Gresini announced a switch to Bridgestone tyres for the forthcoming 2007 season – and their race-winning riders were straight up to speed on the new rubber.
Three-times winner Marco Melandri and Portuguese GP winner Toni Elias rode their 990cc V5 Hondas, outpacing the new 800cc machines on the first of two days of testing at Valencia in the week after the final race there.
Elias set second-fastest time of the day, three thousandths of a second behind Valentino Rossi (Yamaha), also riding his old 990cc machine.
Melandri was next-fastest, less than two-tenths slower. The pair did not run on the second day, waiting for their first chance on the new 800cc in Sepang in mid-November.
Both riders praised the new tyres, after setting good lap times while still feeling their way. “Now it's too early to make a comparison, but the start was good,” said Elias.
Melandri, suffering from food poisoning, went further. “I couldn’t ride at my best, but I couldn't miss this test. The Bridgestones are quite different from what I am used to, but I'm very happy with this choice. The feeling was good. I could ride smoothly, as I like, with a very good feeling in the middle of the corner.”
Melandri also enjoyed the close co-operation with the Bridgestone technicians.
Team owner Fausto Gresini, himself a double World Champion, explained the reason for the switch to Bridgestone.
“In the chase for the title we decided to try and new way of distinguishing ourselves from the other factory teams,” he said.