Bridgestone and Dorna Sports have signed a new three-year deal that will see the Japanese manufacturer continue as the Official Tyre Supplier to the premier class of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) MotoGP World Championship from 2012-2014. The new contract means that Bridgestone will continue to provide tyres and technical support to every team and rider on the premier class grid as the championship enters the new era of increased engine capacity, up from 800cc to 1000cc. Already the Official Tyre Supplier to the premier class since 2009, Bridgestone has received positive support from the riders, the FIM, Dorna, the Motorcycle Sports Manufacturers Association (MSMA) and the International Road Racing Teams Association (IRTA), all who have expressed a strong desire to continue the relationship. Since entering the championship’s top category, then 500cc, in 2002, it took just two years for the first win on Bridgestone tyres. In 2009 Bridgestone was named the championship’s first Official Tyre Supplier, after just seven seasons of competition. As of the end of the 2010 season, four World Championship Titles, 70 Grand Prix victories and 197 podiums have been scored in the premier class using Bridgestone tyres. Mikio Masunaga; Vice-President and Member of the Board, Bridgestone Corporation “Firstly I’d like to send our deepest condolences to the people suffering from last week’s terrible pacific coast of Tohoku earthquake disaster. We sincerely hope that quality of life and sense of normality can be restored for all those affected by this tragedy and Bridgestone group promise to help with the relief and recovery effort. “I am both proud and excited that we are able to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to MotoGP by extending our participation as Official Tyre Supplier to the premier class with a new three-year deal. Bridgestone has a very rich heritage in the leading motorsport categories across the world, and MotoGP represents a significant part of this history.”. “I am happy that we can continue what has been a very successful relationship with the premier class of motorcycle road racing over the past nine years. I would like to thank the riders, the FIM, Dorna, the MSMA and IRTA for their support of us, in particular over the last two years as Official Tyre Supplier. MotoGP is a key global platform for Bridgestone in carrying our brand and messages to an international audience and in enabling us to develop and prove our products and technical expertise on the world stage. I believe our involvement in MotoGP will enable us to continually improve the safety and performance of our consumer tyres.” Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO, Dorna “From Dorna we want to send our sincere condolences to the families of the victims of the eartquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. It was a natural disaster that has left us stunned and saddened by its magnitude, but we are sure that a country such as Japan will overcome a situation such as this”. “I am very please that we can continue to work closely with Bridgestone for another three years after this season, and I would like to thank them for their continued commitment to MotoGP. Bridgestone has a great track record in all forms of motorsport, in particular MotoGP, and has done a great job since they were appointed the championship’s first ever Official Tyre Supplier so we all know they are up to the task this season and over the following three years. Their ongoing commitment at these early point is important in allowing us to plan for the future, especially for the teams as they are already underway with their development plans for next year and the new 1000cc era, and I believe it also demonstrates the value of MotoGP as a business platform”.