MotoGP: Bridgestone at Laguna Seca with the asymmetric tyre

The world championship reaches the halfway point, in fact the ninth of the eighteen stages of 2013 will be staged at Laguna Seca. Bridgestone has prepared for this challenge by bringing an asymmetric rear tire of soft and medium compound and a symmetrical one of extra-soft compound. For the front instead soft and medium tyres. The circuit, like the Sachsenring, runs anti-clockwise and has more left-hand corners than right-hand corners.

“Laguna Seca has been reintroduced to the MotoGP calendar since 2005, but it is already one of the most anticipated races of the season, with its spectacular, anti-clockwise layout, which often produces group racing – he said Hiroshi Yamada, Head of Bridgestone Motorsport – This circuit features big changes with tight, elevated corners and although it has a low average speed for a MotoGP circuit, it has spots like the Corkscrew which is one of the most challenging on the calendar. As we approach the halfway point of the season, the championship standings are very short, with thirty-seven points separating the top five riders. I look forward to what should be an exciting weekend here at Laguna Seca.”
 
“Laguna Seca is a circuit with a relatively low average speed and although it is not overly demanding on the tyres, it still represents a challenge for Bridgestone – he added Shinji Aoki, Head of Bridgestone Motorsport Tire Development Department – The circuit is located on hills close to the sea and this causes large variations in track temperature between the morning and afternoon sessions, so our tire allocation has to work across a notable range of conditions. Then there are particular sections such as the corkscrew, a quick change of direction on a counter slope which puts a lot of strain on the front tyre. Additionally, right-hand turns three and four are important for getting a good lap time, so our rear slick tires need to have good temperature retention, on slow, ninety-degree corners. As in the last round at the Sachsenring, this circuit runs counter-clockwise and has more left-hand corners than right-hand corners, so we will supply the asymmetric rear tire with the harder rubber on the left shoulder.”

Tire compounds available:
Front: Soft and Medium.
Rear: extra-soft (symmetrical), Soft and Medium (asymmetrical)
Wet available: soft (Main), Hard (alternative)