Single tyre rule 2009

In a meeting at the Motegi circuit on Sunday morning the Grand Prix Commission decided unanimously that there will be a single tyre supplier in the MotoGP class as of 2009.

The Grand Prix Commission has decided unanimously that there will be a single tyre supplier for the MotoGP class from 2009. Proposals to supply the tyres must be handed to the FIM and Dorna by 3rd October at the latest.

The final decision will be announced by the GP Commission by 18th October at the latest.

from what i understand, michelin didnt even submit a bid, so it looks like it will be bridgestone for everyone

Yes i'd say so..

It would have been a waste of michelins time and money to put in a bid anyway..

Riders don't have confidence in the Michelins..

And the 1-2 in the championship are on Bridgestone..

the only thing that confuses me, well not the only thing cuz lots of stuff confuses me, but regarding this issue anyway, i thought i read earlier in the season that bridgestone said they didnt have the ability to supply all the riders? was i wrong in that understanding?

Yeah im pretty sure id heard that somewhere before aswell

It would be amusing for Dani pedrosa if Dorna chose Michelin as the single tyre supplier.

Yes Bridgestone can supply all the rider with their tyres.

They currently supply 12 out of 18 riders i think ?

Vale will come out tops for either tyre supplier as long as its single supplier

MotoGP » Single tyre - nothing to fear?
Tuesday, 21st October 2008

MotoGP faces up to a single tyre future.

MotoGP's one tyre future appears to be causing concern among some riders in the paddock, who fear their needs will be overlooked by a reduced range of tyres designed around the preferences of the championship leaders.

Whilst the airing of such concerns is 'all part of the game' in terms of riders seeking to apply pressure on Bridgestone to back them as much as possible next season, is it really likely that the less competitive riders will actually be worse off next year?

Prior to the tyre restrictions imposed for the start of 2007, which forced all riders to pick their tyre allocation before the start of each race weekend, many riders were complaining about Michelin bringing overnight specials from its French base - designed using practice data - for its star riders to use in the European races.

The lower ranked Michelin riders and those using rival brands rightfully felt this practice was unfair - asking, both private and publically, what they could do if they had those tyres.

From 2007 no 'overnight specials' have been allowed in MotoGP, but the tyre manufacturers - being in competition with each other - would naturally continue to back their top riders more than the others, while inequality between the brands at certain circuits has left some riders knowing that their hopes of a decent result were over after first free practice.

But, from next year, all riders will have access to, for example, exactly the same tyres as six time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi will be using - although some appear to hinting that they don't want 'Rossi's tyres' now.

'Rossi likes unusual tyres and his riding style is completely different to mine so if the tyres are designed around him they will be of no use to me', they might say. The unsympathetic might reply that they are simply afraid to take on Rossi with equal tyres.

In fairness, Rossi has also raised concerns about the reduction in tyre options available from 2009.

The exact tyre options and number available to each rider is yet to be confirmed, although it is rumoured that the dry tyre allocation will be reduced from this year's total of 40 (18 front and 22 rear) per race weekend to 20, with a choice of just two different compounds at each race. Bridgestone believes this will be sufficient as it will create rubber with a much wider range of working temperatures than at present.

Whilst there are legitimate concerns about matching such a limited range of tyres to the five different machines present on the grid, a MotoGP prototype - like any other racing thoroughbred - should be designed around the needs of its tyres anyway. Maximising tyre grip during acceleration, braking and cornering is the key to speed.

Providing sufficient data about next year's tyres is supplied to the manufacturers for use by their 2009 design teams then it's really just an engineering challenge to build a bike to best suit the rubber on offer to all.

Whilst fine tuning and development of the tyres will take place before and during the 2009 season - and this will need to be conducted as fairly as possible by Bridgestone to avoid creating a specialised range of 'Rossi tyres' - it is worth remembering that (unlike in Superbike racing) there is no limitation on the modifications a manufacturer can make to its MotoGP machines. If the bike doesn't suit the tyres, then they can change it.

2009 should therefore provide a chance for the MotoGP manufacturers to show who really can build the best bike, now that the veil of tyre performance has been removed.

But what about those new to Bridgestone tyres, won't they be at a disadvantage over the established Bridgestone teams? Possibly, although Yamaha's ability to win races with both Bridgestone and Michelin tyres this season has proven that the Bridgestone rubber is not particularly 'quirky'.

Honda, being the only team without a factory rider on Bridgestones at the start of this year, might be at the biggest disadvantage in terms of 2009 design - but Dani Pedrosa (the lightest rider on the grid) took a podium in only his second Bridgestone race and then a pole and podium in his fourth, whilst the satellite Gresini team has gathered Bridgestone data from the start of the 800cc era in 2007.

The tables below show the number of different riders and machines that have won races in MotoGP and World Superbike since 2002, when the four-stroke MotoGP class began.

WSBK switched to a single tyre in 2004 and, if the WSBK experience is anything to go, fears of domination by one or two favoured riders appear unlikely - although it may take one season to 'settle down'. 2005 was also the first season, after the one-tyre rule, in which all five manufacturers had a factory-backed WSBK presence.

MotoGP World Championship - different race winners:
2002 (Open Tyre): 4 (riders) 2 (manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha)
2003 (Open Tyre): 4 (riders) 2 (manufacturers - Honda, Ducati)
2004 (Open Tyre): 4 (riders) 2 (manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha)
2005 (Open Tyre): 5 (riders) 3 (manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Ducati)
2006 (Open Tyre): 7 (riders) 3 (manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Ducati)
2007 (Open Tyre): 5 (riders) 4 (manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Ducati, Suzuki)
2008 (Open Tyre): 4 (riders) 3 (manufacturers - Honda, Yamaha, Ducati)

World Superbike Championship - different race winners:
2002 (Open Tyre): 3 (riders) 2 (manufacturers - Ducati, Honda)
2003 (Open Tyre): 5 (riders) 1 (manufacturer - Ducati)
2004 (Pirelli Only): 6 (riders) 2 (manufacturers - Honda, Ducati)
2005 (Pirelli Only): 7 (riders) 4 (manufacturers - Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha)
2006 (Pirelli Only): 8 (riders) 5 (manufacturers - Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki)
2007 (Pirelli Only): 5 (riders) 4 (manufacturers - Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha)
2008 (Pirelli Only): 8 (riders) 4 (manufacturers - Ducati, Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha)

Both championships have one round still to go in 2008.

Bridgestone, which also has the exclusive tyre contract for the Formula One World Championship, currently highlights its softer compound F1 tyres with a white line. This makes clear to the watching fans which driver is using which type of tyre. It is not known if Bridgestone will introduce this feature in MotoGP next.

Valentino Rossi: Tyre rule won’t change front runners
By Matthew Birt

MotoGP

06 November 2008 09:53


Reigning world champion Valentino Rossi believes a new single tyre rule introduced in MotoGP for 2009 won’t change the riders fighting for race victories next season.

Only Rossi, Aussie Casey Stoner and Spanish duo Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo collected wins during last season, and the Italian reckons the switch to a Bridgestone mono brand will have little impact on changing those challenging at the front.

Rossi, who won nine races in a record-breaking 2008 campaign, told MCN: “It is not sure that with a single tyre rule the racing will become a lot better or more fun for riders and fans. And at the end of the season all the faster riders had the same tyres.

"So I think with the one tyre rule, nothing will change a lot. I think Casey won last year because he rode incredibly well and this year he arrived second because he is again very fast. For sure it is not just tyres that we are the fastest.

"Sometimes last year and also this year between Bridgestone and Michelin there was a big difference but I think the faster riders will remain more or less the same.”

Michelin´s fond farewell to MotoGP
Friday, 07 November 2008

Saying goodbye to the French tyre manufacturer, who leave MotoGP after 36 years.



The 2008 season saw many firsts in MotoGP, but also marked the end of an era for tyre manufacturer Michelin. After 36 years in the World Championship, the French fabricant will be without a presence on the grid next season as Bridgestone take the reigns of a new single-tyre setup for the premier class.

Supplying tyres for 42 different racewinners, with their compounds fitted on World Championship-winning bikes on 26 occasions, Michelin have been part of some of the legendary moments in the history of the series; from Jack Findlay at the Isle of Man in 1973 –Michelin´s first premier class win- to Dani Pedrosa in Catalunya, the company have an astounding pedigree in road racing.

Radial, Silica and Dual-Rubber Technology, Synthetic Rubber compounds and Pilot Power were all highly successful developments that lead to World Championship wins, brought in by Michelin and ridden to victory by the likes of Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz and Valentino Rossi.

The accompanying video gives a fond farewell to all those involved in the Michelin MotoGP project.

Tyre rules help Rossi: Aussie
November 14, 2008

AUSTRALIAN MotoGP star Casey Stoner has been warned that new tyre rules for 2009 will make world champion Valentino Rossi virtually unbeatable.

The caution comes from Stoner's compatriot Jerry Burgess, the South Australian who has been the mastermind behind title wins by Rossi and Mick Doohan. As Rossi's Yamaha crew chief, Burgess was the driving force that steered the Italian to a sixth world crown.

Under new regulations for next season, all teams will have to use a single make of tyre, a decision which has been criticised by several key figures in the paddock, including Australian rider Chris Vermeulen.

Burgess, too, believes the move will prove restricting to teams trying to develop technology to make the sport competitive.

But he says if all riders are on equal rubber it is Rossi who will dominate the series.

Burgess says that while Stoner and Spaniard Dani Pedrosa are set to be the major title challengers next year, the selection of Bridgestone tyres for all teams will aid Rossi.

"If I was a rider out there now I wouldn't want to be on the same stuff as Valentino Rossi," Burgess told motorcyclenews.com. "That's a tough call." The tyre decision means there will be less competition on the track, according to Burgess.

"It was virtually a mono tyre several years ago without a regulation with Michelin in 500s and we saw some pretty uninteresting racing there with Mick (Doohan) clearing away and winning races."

so one tyre will not even the playing field?

Rossi: `Single-tyre makes equality more of a possibility´
Friday, 28 November 2008

Italian expecting more on-track battles in 2009 with introduction of new regulation.



Valentino Rossi may have been the fastest rider of the Jerez test, but to take the top spot at the final test of 2008 the Fiat Yamaha rider had to dig deep late on Thursday. The Italian edged out persistent rival Dani Pedrosa by just 0.018 to end his World Championship winning year on a high note, and is predicting closer battles to come with the move to a single-tyre manufacturer for 2009.

`I think that the first tests with the new rule have been positive. It will be difficult for Bridgestone to decide which tyres to use, but with everyone on the same rubber it will be possible to watch more fighting on track with everybody on the same level,´ says Rossi, starting his second preseason with Bridgestone tyres.

The workload for Thursday included some novelties not rolled out on day one, and Rossi had just four hours in which to put them to the test. The 29 year-old was pleased with the developments, which will now be put together in Japan as the 2009 prototype is assembled for next February´s Sepang test.

`We had some different parts to test compared to yesterday, and their performance was not so bad,´ he continues. `Closing the year at the top was important, but so was making sure that those new parts were good for when the bike is worked on over the winter.´

Bridgestone identify logistics as new preseason challenge
Monday, 01 December 2008

Japanese tyre manufacturer also happy with positive reactions from new additions.



Bridgestone may not have to worry about staying one step ahead of the competition now that MotoGP has moved to a single-tyre regulation, but the Japanese rubber supplier will still have plenty of work to do over the winter break. However, whilst developing tyres was previously the priority, now the hard work will come in production.

`Compared to a competitive tyre situation, we will not be focusing on tyre development. However, there are still minor adjustments to be made, based on the data we have accumulated at these tests (the Suzuki/Kawasaki visit to Phillip Island and the MotoGP Official Test at Jerez) and also the Valencia test,´ says Tohru Ubukata, the company´s Motorcycle Race Tyre Development Manager.

`Our new challenge is ensuring that we produce sufficient tyres for all competitors next season and we also have to put all the logistics in place to ensure we provide good and fair service to all teams. This will keep us very busy.´

Bridgestone have yet to have a test with every rider present, the closest to this situation having been at Valencia (where only Tech 3 Yamaha´s James Toseland and Colin Edwards were absentees), but Ubukata is nonetheless happy with the assessments given by the new additions to their MotoGP project.

`This has been very good and over the course of next year we will have an enormous amount of rider feedback from all of the bikes on the grid. This is very useful for us as a company when we look to future tyre developments. The surprising thing from these two tests has been how positive all the riders have been about our tyres, and how quickly teams and riders have been able to adapt their bikes and riding styles to suit the Bridgestone tyres, even if they were not using them previously,´ he continues.

`From our perspective we wanted to assess the suitability of these tyres for next year´s races and in particular evaluate the tyre working range at these tests.

`In the cold –like at Jerez- the main consideration is grip levels and warm-up time. Philip Island allowed us to look at the higher range of temperatures, as the ambient temperature was around 25°C and the track temperature about 40°C . Here the main consideration is heat durability. In both locations the tyres worked well, so we are confident when we look ahead to 2009.´

MotoGP » Bridgestone 'surprised' by rider feedback.
Monday, 1st December 2008

Bridgestone pleasantly surprised at positive feedback from all riders, regarding its new 'single brand' MotoGP tyres.


Bridgestone's Tohru Ubukata admits even he is surprised at the seamless transition the MotoGP field has made to the company's new range of single-brand rubber.

By the end of 2008, Bridgestone already supplied 12 of the 18 full time riders, but the switch to single-brand tyres for 2009 has resulted in a drastic reduction in the number of different rubber options available, with the emphasis switching from performance to endurance, a wide operating range and equality for all riders and machines.

Some feared the new tyre rule would result in rubber built only for the established race winners, with the rest left to struggle, but the universally positive feedback from the post-season test sessions - and particularly those riders new to the Japanese tyres - has proved otherwise.

"The surprising thing from these two tests [at Jerez and Phillip Island last week] has been how positive all the riders have been about our tyres, and how quickly teams and riders have been able to adapt their bikes and riding styles to suit the Bridgestone tyres, even if they were not using them previously," declared Ubukata, Bridgestone Motorsport's manager of Motorcycle Race Tyre Development.

Looking to the future, Ubukata confirmed that the challenge facing Bridgestone is in terms of providing 'good and fair service to all'.

"Compared to a competitive tyre situation, we will not be focusing on tyre development [during the winter test ban]," he said. "However, there are still minor adjustments to be made, based on the data we have accumulated at these tests and also the [previous] Valencia test.

"Although we will not be developing the tyres as we would previously, we will be working hard. Our new challenge is ensuring that we produce sufficient tyres for all competitors next season and we also have to put all the logistics in place to ensure we provide good and fair service to all teams. This will keep us very busy."