Tyre compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium. Rear: Soft, Medium
As MotoGP heads to Assen for the Dutch GP, round seven marks
a return to softer compound Bridgestone slicks after the sweltering heat of
Catalunya.
As the paddock has become accustomed to this year, there is
again the ever-present chance of rain at Assen, and coupled with the cooler
track temperatures, Bridgestone will also bring the softer compound wet tyres
in readiness.
Assen is a circuit of two halves following its modification
in 2006 which reduced its length to its present 4.555km. The surface is
inconsistent as a result and the mix of newer and older asphalt offers
differing levels of grip and abrasion, testing the broad operating range of Bridgestone’s
tyres and making it tricky in the wet.
The circuit also boasts an impressive 17 corners, giving the
tyres a continual and intense workout. The nature of the track mixes fast and
flowing corners with sections of heavy braking that demand good stability on
the way in and good traction on the exit.
Corners such as the 200km/h+ Ramshoek demand absolute
commitment and really test the shoulder grip of the Bridgestones. The first few
corners, from Haarbocht to De Strubben, are linked as one and gradually
tighten, requiring good right shoulder durability from the tyres.
Heavy braking into De Bult, the left-handed turn ten, and
famously into G.T Bocht, the final chicane just before the finish line, offer further
overtaking opportunities but really load the front tyres, requiring riders to
have confidence in their front end grip.
Last year Assen was round nine on the calendar and the top
three riders arrived in the Netherlands
separated by 45 points. This season, the first for MotoGP with Bridgestone as
the Official Tyre Supplier, it is much tighter at the top with Valentino Rossi,
Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner tied on an equal 106 points. In 2008 a
dominating performance by Stoner and the Ducati Team gave the first
Ducati/Bridgestone win at Assen.
Hiroshi Yamada -
Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Sport Unit
“For the first time in Assen, each rider has been able to
choose, immediately after the Catalunya GP, whether they wish to use four of each
compound of front slick tyre or three of one and five of the other. I think
this will put more emphasis on the teams’ and riders’ choices and utilisation
of front tyres, and we may start to see greater variation in front compound
usage which will lead to a trade-off between warm-up performance and durability
over a race distance. I hope the weather is good and we can see another great
battle again this weekend like in Catalunya!"
Tohru Ubukata –
Bridgestone Motorsport – Manager Motorcycle Race Tyre Development
“Since it was re-profiled, the shorter Assen circuit has
inconsistent asphalt with a newer first sector and an older, more traditional
track layout. There are limited overtaking opportunities unless you are brave,
especially in the slower first corners, so a strong qualifying performance is
vital. The first part of the lap is a very tight, slow section which is followed
by a series of complex 90-degree corners so braking stability and shoulder grip
and durability are key. We expect lower track temperatures here during the race
weekend and the remodelled first sector of the track has newer asphalt which is
more slippery, so we have chosen to bring softer compounds of our slick tyre.”
"The first part of the lap is a very tight, slow section so braking stability and shoulder grip
and durability are key"