Bridgestone Hails New MotoGP Tyre Regulations Statement from Bridgestone Motorsport on Amendments to 2007 GP Regulations Friday 29 September 2006 The International Motorcycle Federation, FIM, has confirmed a series of technical regulations to be introduced from the 2007 MotoGP World Championship season, which specifically regulate the use of tyres during a GP weekend. The new regulations have been implemented further to ongoing discussions between the three tyre manufacturers participating in MotoGP, namely Michelin, Dunlop and Bridgestone, and based on a joint proposal submitted to FIM by the three manufacturers back in July. These changes represent the first of their kind within the MotoGP championship and have been universally supported by the tyre manufacturers in an effort to reduce costs incurred through participation at the pinnacle of global motorcycle racing and to preserve the healthy competition that prevails in MotoGP. The most significant of the tyre regulations will be a directive on the number of slick tyres manufacturers can bring and use during a GP weekend. Manufacturers who have scored at least two victories in dry conditions since the start of 2005 will be subject to a limit of no more than 31 slick tyres per rider, 14 front and 17 rear, for the duration of the GP weekend. There will be no limit on the number of wet tyres a manufacturer may bring. The number of tyres has been unlimited for all manufacturers up to now, so this new limit will alter the approach that tyre manufacturers and teams adopt ahead of each race. Bridgestone Motorsport Motorcycle Racing Manager Hiroshi Yamada commented: “A significant milestone was reached during the British Grand Prix in Donington back at the start of July, when all three tyre companies participating in MotoGP – Michelin, Dunlop and Bridgestone – all reached a mutual agreement and jointly signed a proposal on tyre regulations from the 2007 season. This proposal was submitted to Dorna for subsequent discussion with the GP Commission. Bridgestone is pleased that this joint document has been taken into consideration to implement a series of positive tyre regulations starting from next season. The driving force behind these regulations has been primarily to reduce costs and to enable a healthy competition to prevail between tyre manufacturers in MotoGP for the future. A reduction of tyre quantities for each race weekend will reduce production and logistic costs, while the planned testing limit will also place a greater premium on our race weekend preparation, as we will have fewer tyre alternatives at our disposal for the GP. Bridgestone will relish this extra challenge from next year, which should also further enhance the overall competition between teams and riders, particularly in light of the new 800cc era. Finally, a big thank you must go to Mr. Jeremy Ferguson (Dunlop) and Mr. Nicolas Goubert (Michelin) for the efforts that they both put into drafting the proposal and to Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna) and Mr. Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA) for their support and guidance throughout.”