Bridgestone MotoGP™ Preview – Round 15: Malaysia Thursday 10 October 2013 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Medium & Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium (Symmetric) & Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main) & Soft (Alternative) Round fifteen of the 2013 MotoGP™ season takes place at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, a real test of man and machine with its high ambient temperatures and technical layout. Measuring approximately 5.5 kilometres in length, Sepang is characterised by two long straights that end in extreme braking zones which demand high levels of stability from the front tyre. The rest of the circuit is a mix of high and low speed corners that combine to generate significant loads, with this circuit being one of the more demanding for tyres. Although Sepang is hard on tyres, the stresses placed on the left and right shoulders of the tyre are similar hence two of the three rear tyre specifications offered at this circuit, the soft and medium rear slicks are symmetric. Only the hard compound rear slick which is offered just to the works riders is asymmetric in construction, with the right shoulder featuring harder rubber than the left shoulder. Owing to its hard braking zones and high ambient temperatures, the front tyre allocation for Sepang includes the two hardest front slick tyres in Bridgestone’s range, the medium and hard compound front slicks. As the need for warm-up performance is not a major factor in the hot Malaysian climate, the main wet tyre at Sepang will be the hard compound wet tyre. Each rider will also be able to select up to two front and rear wet tyres in the alternative soft compound. Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “I am looking forward to this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang as MotoGP is becoming more and more popular in this part of the world and I expect another large and vocal crowd will be present. Although it is an excellent venue, the heat and humidity at Sepang takes its toll on the riders and the layout of the circuit is quite demanding on tyres so overall, this is one of the more challenging events on the calendar. Marc is in a commanding position at the moment and as we head into the final few races of the season, we are all eagerly waiting to see how Jorge will rise to the challenge as he strives to defend his championship crown. Also, starting on the Monday after the race the selection event for next year’s inaugural Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup will take place at Sepang and Bridgestone will be providing tyres for this event. I look forward to seeing the talented crop of young Asian riders contend for a place in what will be an exciting feeder series for the world championship.” Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “Sepang is one of the most impressive circuits on the MotoGP calendar and is distinctive because of its two long straights which help make it one of the longest circuits we visit. Wild weather is often encountered here with track temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius and heavy rain, like we experienced last year, all possible over a race weekend. Sepang features a mix of high speed corners and tight hairpins with heavy braking, which makes good front tyre stability a priority here. Overall this circuit is quite tough on tyres as tyre temperatures can be quite extreme due to the nature of the circuit and the hot ambient conditions which give little chance for the tyres to cool.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: The MotoGP teams and riders are gearing up for the end-of-season sprint, the final four races in this year’s championship. It gets underway this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, located about 50km south of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, with the first of three overseas races in three successive weeks. The S.I.C. (Sepang International Circuit), another track designed by the German architect Hermann Tilke, is the longest after Silverstone, and one of the most interesting on the calendar. Its lap distance of 5.543 kilometers (3.447 miles), the sweeping corners and wide straights, which are particularly favorable to overtaking and high speeds, make it a demanding circuit, also because of the heat and high humidity in the area. A third place on the podium in 2010 is the best result obtained by Andrea Iannone at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team rider, after a weekend in Spain in which he finished inside the Top 10, aims to continue the valuable work done with the team inside the pits and get closer to the Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden. Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team “It’s good to be back on this track where we did the tests in February. It’s a very nice circuit but also a challenging one. My goal here is to try to stay as close as possible to the Ducati Team riders during the race. I hope to stay with them and match their times, although this isn’t a very favourable track for our bike. It slid quite a bit during the test here and didn’t have much grip, but it’s also true that we’ve changed a few things since February. Now we’ll be able to see the progress made so far, and see what a difference the changes have made. I don’t really know what to expect, but we’ve done a good job with the team and I think we can continue.” More, from another press release issued by Pramac Racing: The MotoGP teams and riders are gearing up for the end-of-season sprint, the final four races in this year’s championship. It gets underway this weekend at the Sepang International Circuit, located about 50km south of the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, with the first of three overseas races in three successive weeks. The S.I.C. (Sepang International Circuit), another track designed by the German architect Hermann Tilke, is the longest after Silverstone, and one of the most interesting on the calendar. Its lap distance of 5.543 kilometers (3.447 miles), the sweeping corners and wide straights, which are particularly favorable to overtaking and high speeds, make it a demanding circuit, also because of the heat and high humidity in the area. Yonny Hernandez, currently substitute-rider for the Texan Ben Spies, is determined to further improve on his performance during the Aragon Grand Prix in Spain, his first race as a Ignite Pramac Racing Team rider. The aim of the 25-year-old Colombian for the remaining races of the season is to increase his feeling with the Desmosedici GP13, in order to fully understand its limits and potential, improve his performance, and try and move up in the standings race after race. Yonny Hernandez – Ignite Pramac Racing Team “I’m glad to be here in Malaysia with this bike. It’s a great opportunity for me and I’ll do everything possible to improve compared to Aragon. I learned some things during that race; I was able to experience the tyre wear, and I realized that the riding style changes. I still don’t know the limit of the front, and for now I’ve found a compromise by drifting with the rear, although I know that’s not the right way and I have to work to gain knowledge. At the moment I’m optimistic and I hope to improve. In addition, this bike seems to fit well with my riding style, and I like it.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: STEFAN PREPARED FOR RACING AT SEPANG RACE TRACK Sepang, 10 October: this weekend the contest for the 2013 MotoGP World Championship moves from its European heartland to the tropical heat of Malaysia, where the spectacular Sepang circuit hosts round 14 of 18. Sepang is a popular MotoGP testing venue and the field was there for two Official Tests prior to the campaign, at the beginning and end of February respectively. Stefan Bradl has been very consistent in the last European rounds and will aim to score further important points riding his GIVI branded RC213Vs. Stefan Bradl “Aragon proved that our performance is getting stronger and stronger. Also, I gained a lot of confidence during that race, which gives me the motivation to continue improving at Sepang. I know that I still need a little more experience to help me manage the drop in the tyres during the last few races, but hopefully I can get on top of that soon. Sepang is always a real challenge considering the physical effort and the unpredictable weather but I am fully ready. I like Sepang circuit but it’s sad to be back here without Marco (Simoncelli)”.