The 2014 MotoGP‰ã¢ season is set to start this weekend amidst a huge buzz of excitement at Qatar‰Ûªs Losail International Circuit, as Bridgestone embarks on its sixth season as Official Tyre Supplier to the world‰Ûªs premier class of motorcycle road racing.
Twenty-three riders will take part in MotoGP‰ã¢ for the 2014 season, which will span eighteen races across thirteen countries. Adding to the anticipation for the 2014 season opener, Bridgestone‰Ûªs new tyre classification system will make its debut in Qatar, with Green (Extra-soft), White (Soft), Black (Medium) and Red (Hard) coloured markings to be utilised throughout the season, making it easier for fans to see which tyre options the riders are using.
Three factors make the Losail circuit one of the most slippery on the MotoGP‰ã¢ calendar; cool track temperatures, the potential for wind-blown sand on the track, and high humidity levels after the sun sets. The sand on track can also be quite abrasive, so Bridgestone‰Ûªs tyre allocation must ensure high levels of grip and warm-up performance, together with good durability.
The circuit features ten right-hand corners and just six left-handers, so asymmetric rear slicks with harder rubber on the right shoulders are provided here.
Open-class riders at Qatar will be allocated the soft and medium compound asymmetric rear slicks, while Factory-class riders will be able to use the medium and hard asymmetric rears.
Front slick tyre options for the season opener are the soft and hard compounds to ensure the riders can manage the changeable grip and abrasion levels that occur at this circuit.
‰ÛÏThe 2014 season is Bridgestone‰Ûªs sixth campaign as Official Tyre Supplier to MotoGP, and during this time Qatar has been the venue for the season opener," Hiroshi Yamada - Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department commented. "This weekend we will debut our new tyre colour marking system and I believe this will be a welcome change for fans, and will make the sport more attractive to the millions of people watching the action around the globe.
"After a busy pre-season, everyone at Bridgestone is excited to start the season, and I look forward to our range of 2014 specification tyres getting their first taste of competitive action this weekend.
"We‰Ûªve made a large effort to push the boundaries of motorcycle tyre development with our latest range of tyres, and it is thanks to the efforts of the riders and teams over the past couple months of testing that we arrive at the first race of Qatar fully prepared for the season ahead.
‰ÛÏThis weekend also sees the first round of the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup take place, and Bridgestone is proud to be supporting this series which gives young Asian riders a great opportunity to take their first steps towards a MotoGP ride. I‰Ûªd like to extend my best wishes for a safe and successful campaign to all the riders competing in this year‰Ûªs MotoGP and Asia Talent Cup championships.‰Û
