MotoGP: Bridgestone prepares for the Catalunya Grand Prix

Bridgestone MotoGP 2015 Barcelona – The world championship circus arrives in Barcelona for the seventh stage of the 2015 world championship. The Catalan circuit is one of the hardest for the tyres, above all due to the long corners which put the Japanese tires to the test given the high lean angles and their high travel times.

The combination of the long corners, the hard braking and the high temperatures means that the rear tire is subjected to high stress, especially on the right shoulder. Precisely for this reason Bridgestone will bring an asymmetric tire with a compound up to two "steps" harder on the right shoulder than on the left. As for the front, good braking stability is needed, combined with excellent grip on long bends.

The Honda and Yamaha riders will have the medium and hard compounds available at the rear, while the rest of the grid, including Ducati, will have the medium and soft tyres. As for the front, you can choose between three compounds, soft, medium and hard. In case of rain the main choice is the hard.

“MotoGP returns to Spain this weekend at one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar, the Circuit of Catalonia. This circuit is fast with flowing sections that help create exciting racing. Those of 2007 and 2009 are particularly memorable, with a margin of victory of less than a tenth of a second. It is often very hot in Montmeló and when conditions are hot, this event becomes even more challenging for the riders, bikes and tires – he said Hiroshi Yamada, Head of Bridgestone Motorsport – After the race, we will stop for MotoGP testing and continue to invest in our 2015 MotoGP programme. This weekend will also see the annual Kart Challenge, where media teams will compete in an endurance race. This event continues to grow in popularity and as always we look forward to welcoming the media and MotoGP riders to this fun Friday event.”

“The Circuit of Catalonia features many long, sweeping corners where drivers reach high lean angles for long periods of time. Most of these long-radius curves are right-handers, and overall there are eight right-handers compared to only five left-handers. For this reason we will provide asymmetric slicks with harder rubber on the right shoulder – he explained Shinji Aoki, Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tire Development Department – The long radius corners generate very high temperatures on the tire and contribute to making this circuit among the most severe on the calendar. Furthermore, the grip level of the track is not very high, so we need the tires to have good edge grip and be stable when braking, as well as being resistant to overheating. Our front tire allocation must provide riders with good edge grip and stability to ensure high performance and safety in high-speed sections.”

Compounds available:
Front: Soft, Medium & Hard
Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet: Hard (Main) & Soft (Alternative)