Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/200817
P24 WIND PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE IN THE BRIDGESTONE SAYS IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN B ridgestone gave a "mea culpa" press briefing at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi – putting numbers on the extent to which they had been caught out the weekend before at Phillip Island, and thanking competitors and organizers for their understanding, and pledging it will not happen again. Drastically bad tire life at the resurfaced seaside circuit was causing tires to disintegrate after only 10 laps, and the planned 27-lap race was cut to 19, with a compulsory bike-change pit-stop halfway through for fresh tires. Racing development chief Hiroshi Yamada faced the press to explain why "we could not guarantee the safety of our rear slick tire." Reading from a script, he said that while they had run more than the usual simulation for the higher demands of the new surface, "and nominated more than usual high pressures and extra-hard slicks, the extreme conditions experienced by the tires were far beyond our expectations." Round-the-clock examination of tires and team data since then showed that corner speeds on the grippy new track were on average 7 mph faster than last year, causing "a huge increase in load, side force and traction, which in combination resulted in 20 percent more energy being put into our tires. "This is what caused the extreme rise in tire temperature, and cracks in the tire tread. We prepared, but not to this high level." Images of Marc Marquez's tire after he'd completed one more lap than the prescribed safe maximum of 10 showed chunks of rubber missing from the left-hand side, at least proving Bridgestone's estimation of safe distance had been accurate. Bridgestone was in negotiation with Dorna and its cohorts MARQUEZ FORGIVES T o err is human, to forgive divine. If the old adage is to be believed, Marc Marquez took a concrete step further towards divinity after an error by his team cost him a black flag, the Australian GP, and possibly even the World Championship. "In the end we are human, everyone can do some mistake," Marquez said. "Everyone [in the team] has come together, and now we are more motivated and more comfortable," he told the pre-Japanese GP press conference. Bridgestone says this won't happen again: Cal Crutchlow's rear tire from the Australian GP at Phillip Island. for a test at the Australian circuit next year. With such a test, he insisted, "we can develop a rear slick that will last for 27 laps." Plans for compulsory tire tests at any new or newly surfaced circuits are expected to follow, which will next year include Indianapolis and potentially also Brazil. Michael Scott The forgiveness followed frenzied post-mortems as to whether the team or the rider had been at fault in misinterpreting instructions that other teams (and even teammate Dani Pedrosa) found perfectly clear. Officially it was a team decicontinued on page 26