MotoGP: Bridgestone, new hard asymmetric rear for Sepang

The sixteenth stage of the 2012 world championship will take place on Sunday on the Sepang track, a circuit where bikes, tires and physique are put to the test by the very high temperatures and high levels of humidity present in Malaysia. Compared to last year, Bridgestone has also opted for a hard asymmetric rear tire. The compounds brought by the sole tire supplier are the following: Front: hard, extra-Hard. posteriore: Medium (symmetric), Hard (asymmetric), wet tires available: Hard (Main) and Soft (Alternate).

The circuit, made up of ten right-hand corners and five left-hand corners, measures 5548 meters in length and is characterized by two long straights which require excellent stability of the front tire due to the very important braking zones. The rest of the circuit is a mix of fast and slow corners, which generally puts a lot of stress on the tires, especially at the front.

“This will be the third time this year that we have come to Sepang, after the winter tests at the beginning of the year, all the hard work done by the teams and riders will be very important to determine an optimal configuration for this weekend – he said Hiroshi Yamada – Head of Bridgestone Motorsport – The level at which Dani (Pedrosa, ed.) and Jorge (Lorenzo, ed.) are riding at the moment is very high and they continue to push themselves to the limit to the joy of all of us. For Sunday's race there is a strong possibility of rain. I hope that the weather does not impact the race and that we can see an exciting race on this fantastic circuit. Of course, we will do it with a heavy heart, in memory of Marco Simoncelli. I think everyone in the paddock will be thinking of Marco throughout the weekend and we will do everything we can to honor his memory.”

“Sepang is characterized by two long straights which contribute to it being the second longest circuit on the calendar and the track temperature is generally high, often above 50° Celsius – he added Shinji Aoki – Head of Bridgestone Motorsport Tire Development Department – It is one of the fastest circuits of the season with a mix of fast corners and tight hairpins and features two extreme braking stops at the end of the two straights. These areas require high levels of stability from the center section of the front tires, while fast cornering requires good shoulder grip and durability. It is important to have a good setting to ensure good tire life at these temperatures and in this sense, the data acquired during the pre-season tests will be very important this weekend.”