ROUND 16/OCTOBER 20, 2013
PHILLIP ISLAND CIRCUIT/PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
MOTOGP
MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
BY MICHAEL SCOTT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
B
P60
e careful what you wish
for. The riders wished for a
smoother, grippier surface
at Phillip Island. At a cost to the
circuit of some $3 million, they
got it. And loved it. Lap records
flew like confetti as they reveled
in the lack of bumps and consistent adhesion. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turned out, just about everything. All thanks to one huge,
shaming and disastrous error
perpetrated by both spec-tire
companies – Bridgestone and
Dunlop.
While each had made special
preparation for anticipated higher
corner speeds and grip, their calculations were so far off the mark
they may as well have spent the
time making that confetti. Or, as
riders and officials pointed out,
perhaps actually testing at the allnew circuit, at some time in the
DEBACLE
Tire woes, pit stops, black flags and chaos
reign in Australian Grand Prix
Down By The Sea: Before the
mandatory bike-tire change
pit stop, the racing at the
front was fast and furious
between Jorge Lorenzo (99),
Marc Marquez (93) and Dani
Pedrosa (26).
