Pedrosa wins and sets new lap record on hard compound slicks06/06/2010

Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium, Hard.  Rear: Medium, Hard  

Opting for Bridgestone’s hard compound slicks front and rear, Dani Pedrosa took victory for the Repsol Honda Team at Mugello in decisive style, setting a new lap record on only the fifth lap of the race and consistently lapping faster than the existing lap record. The Spaniard was the only rider to lap in the 1m 49second bracket.  

Pedrosa’s consistently fast pace, in which he set seven laps all faster than the existing lap record, means that he also set a new fastest total race time at this circuit.  

Second was Fiat Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo, followed closely by Andrea Dovizioso of Repsol Honda. Both riders also opted for the hard compound front and rear Bridgestone slicks.  

Rear tyre compound choices for the race were the most varied of the season though, and Ducati Team’s Casey Stoner finished fourth after a race-long battle with San Carlo Honda Gresini rider Marco Melandri, both of whom chose the softer option Bridgestone slick. The third rider involved in the battle for fourth was LCR Honda’s Randy de Puniet, who finished 0.2seconds adrift of Stoner using the hard compound rear.  

Hiroshi Yamada, Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department said:
“I’d like to congratulate Dani and the Repsol Honda Team for their victory today and for their pace that set two new records here at Mugello. We saw a good comparison between our two rear slick tyre options which gave some good battles, such as between Casey, Marco and Randy for fourth. Ben and Aleix also did impressive jobs to finish 7th and 8th here today. We all at Bridgestone Motorsport wish Valentino Rossi a speedy recovery from his injury and hope to see him back in the paddock again soon.”  

Tohru Ubukata, Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department said:
“Rear tyre choices were the most varied of the season so far today, which allowed us to again demonstrate that both our hard and medium compound rear slicks have sufficient performance cross-over to operate effectively in the same conditions. The softer rear tyre option proved its durability and consistency throughout the race, as Casey’s last lap was only 0.6seconds slower than his best on lap three. Ultimately though, Dani’s setup using the hard rear tyre proved strongest. On only the fourth lap of the race he set a new lap record which demonstrates good warm-up performance whilst his total race time indicates the balance of good durability of our slick tyres.”  

Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda Team Race Winner said:
“I had a great feeling on the bike, especially in the beginning. My rhythm was high and my laptimes were good so I am delighted with this win. To be on top again is a great feeling for me and the team as we have had to work a lot, and you could see everyone was so happy today.”