MotoGP – Preview Motegi – Home GP for Bridgestone

The second round of the MotoGP World Championship will take place on Sunday 26 April on the historic Motegi track, the home circuit for Bridgestone which this year, as sole supplier of tires for all teams, will celebrate its sixth consecutive victory. On the Japanese circuit, Bridgestone-tyred riders have triumphed in the last five editions. Makoto Tamada achieved the first success for the Japanese manufacturer in his home Grand Prix in 2004, followed by three consecutive successes for Loris Capirossi. Last year the victory went to Valentino Rossi who, starting from the second row of the starting grid, crossed the finish line in first position, achieving success in a triumphal season which ended with the conquest of his eighth World Championship and second world title for Bridgestone. In the last five seasons, the Japanese Grand Prix has been held at the end of the year, as the twelfth round in 2004 and 2005 and as the fifteenth round in 2006, 2007 and 2008. This year, however, as the second round of the World Championship, it is unlikely that the circuit on which Casey Stoner achieved his first World Championship with the Ducati team and the first world title for the Japanese manufacturer in 2007 will be decisive in the fight for the title. Considering the race has been moved to the end of April, temperatures should be around 15°C, five to ten degrees colder than last year. The Japanese manufacturer will bring tires with the same soft and medium compound used in temperatures of 25°C for the Qatar Grand Prix, the first event of the 2009 season.

Motegi is a track that features heavy braking and sudden acceleration, traditionally characterized by close battles for the final victory. Turn “11” is particularly challenging for overtaking and is much appreciated by spectators because the drivers go downhill at around 300 km/h before braking sharply at up to 80 km/h to enter the next right-hand bend. On this track, stability when braking and traction when accelerating out of corners are fundamental. For Bridgestone tires it will be a completely different challenge compared to two weeks ago in Qatar.

Hiroshi Yamada – MotoGP Manager Bridgestone Motorsport:
“Motegi is an important event for us, not only because it is our home Grand Prix, but also because we have achieved historic successes at this track over the years. Both our world titles, won with Casey Stoner and the Ducati team in 2007 and with Valentino Rossi and the Fiat Yamaha team last year, were decided on this track, so for Bridgestone it represents unforgettable memories. Naturally, our objective changes this year so, rather than focusing on achieving a sixth consecutive win, we will need to ensure maximum performance for our tires to enable a close competition. This is what all teams, drivers and fans want to see. The Motegi track has very different characteristics compared to Losail and I am convinced that we will see an exciting race.”

Tohru Ubukata – Bridgestone Motorsport Development Manager:
“Motegi is an abrasive circuit with high grip, which presents heavy loads on the tires due to sudden braking and continuous acceleration. For this Grand Prix we have selected slick tires with a soft and medium compound, the same used without problems two weeks ago in Qatar, despite the track made abrasive by the layer of sand deposited on the road surface and the higher temperatures, so I am convinced that these options represent the correct choice for the Motegi track.”