Bridgestone ready for Interlagos – The short but fast circuit with the winding inside the tires poses a special challenge
Interlagos is the penultimate disconnect for Bridgestone. For the route, which runs counter-clockwise to bring the Japanese with the mean and the super soft compound. The weather could also play a role, but the intermediates and the rain tires have recently done in South Korea a good job.

“Brazil is a beautiful country and South America is an important growth market. So it is important for Bridgestone to show presence in the form of the race,” said motorsport director Hiroshi Yasukawa. “. We have manufacturing facilities in Brazil and appreciate the support from our staff, we have worked in the past with many Brazilian drivers and enjoyed their feedback we are looking forward to the enthusiastic fans at the track.”
Interlagos is a short distance with a narrow core, but fast sections. The asphalt is very bumpy, leading to a compromise on the voting. “It is a beautiful but challenging course,” said Hirohide Hamashima, which is responsible for tire development. “Although it is the second shortest track on the calendar, it has an impressive line and exciting corners.”

“There are mainly medium-fast and slow corners. This means that the mechanical grip and stability are important on the rear axle. The weather can be a deciding factor because it can be very hot or very wet. To maximize performance, needs is a good balance through the turns before it goes uphill towards the finish. There is something reminiscent of an oval. ”
“The first corner is a good overtaking Elle, but you can barter for quick there a brake disks. Caution is called for,” says Hamashima. “In the last two races, we should show a strong performance, but mainly it comes to safe tires. Our engineers work closely with the teams so they can get the best.”

A red car has won this year carried 500 miles by Dario Franchitti, a motorcycle of the same color has commanded the first MotoGP practice session at Indianapolis. This is the Ducati Desmosedici GP10 of Casey Stoner in one of his last appearances with the Borgo Panigale, but legitimizing the best contract offers itself as a leader in the second American trip in the world. Three times under the wall dell’1’41 “best reference final lap in 1’40″ 884 22 laps along well, a lot compared to its usual standards.

Good sign for the 2007 World Champion who has promised a victory before moving to Ducati / Honda to return next season, trying to beat “Ironman” Jorge Lorenzo in second place already paying a little more than 2 / 10 in comparison stopwatch unable dell’1’41 to beat the wall. “ From his second script, is the “race pace” for a few laps approached by Stoner and, early in the session, including Ben Spies, only to fly to the ground in the last minute to turn 13 in one of his fastest laps (it was below 31 milliseconds to T1) losing ground in the standings (8 th after being in the head).

And Valentino Rossi? Only the last staff around the “save” from a position in the standings otherwise problematic fifth, but recovered by 7 / 10, traveling to all 60 minutes of the session with a (minimum) at a disadvantage compared to the leading drivers. In contrast to Stoner, the long pauses and gestures seem to leave the pits not bode well for this first weekend after the announcement of his move to Ducati, also seeing the comparison with other competitive Yamaha, Colin Edwards see a renewed the sixth time.

Despite a fall in assets, hitting back with my left hand aching since Brno, Nicky Hayden feels the air of home wins and the 3rd time on a circuit where he finished on the podium in both 2008 (2 °) than in 2009 (3 °, the first podium with Ducati). Among the top 10 also included Andrea Dovizioso with the seventh time, Aleix Espargaro surprising with the 9th time trial, leaving behind the Honda Gresini pair in the order made by Marco Melandri and Marco Simoncelli. Alvaro Bautista, 14 °, is the first of the Suzuki riders just ahead of team-mate Loris Capirossi to return back Hiroshi Aoyama and Randy De Puniet still not the best, fully justified the disadvantage of 2 “one from the top.

MotoGP World Championship 2010
Indianapolis Free Practice 1 Rank

01 – Casey Stoner – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 1’40 .884
02 – Jorge Lorenzo – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0225 +
03 – Nicky Hayden – Ducati Marlboro Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 0521 +
04 – Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0537 +
05 – Valentino Rossi – Fiat Yamaha Team – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0739 +
06 – Colin Edwards – Tech 3 Yamaha Monster – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0780 +
07 – Andrea Dovizioso – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC212V – 0799 +
08 – Ben Spies – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – 0838 +
09 – Aleix Espargaro – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 1108 +
10 – Marco Melandri – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1263 +
11 – Marco Simoncelli – San Carlo Honda Gresini – Honda RC212V – 1384 +
12 – Hector Barbera – Paginas Amarillas Aspar – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 1484 +
13 – Mika Kallio – Pramac Racing Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP10 – 1716 +
14 – Alvaro Bautista – Rizla Suzuki – Suzuki GSV-R – 1812 +
15 – Loris Capirossi – Rizla Suzuki – Suzuki GSV-R – 1906 +
16 – Hiroshi Aoyama – Interwetten Honda – Honda RC212V – 1990 +
17 – Randy De Puniet – LCR Honda – Honda RC212V – 2103 +

Bridgestone is showing signs of performing a dramatic U-turn and staying in formula one beyond 2010.

Currently, the Japanese supplier is due to depart at the end of the season, as potential replacements including Michelin, Pirelli, Avon, Kumho and possibly others clamour at the paddock turnstiles.

But the teams are trying to persuade Bridgestone to stay, and have written a letter to Bridgestone Europe that will be passed on to CEO Shoshi Arakawa.

“The request is an honour,” said the marque’s F1 boss Hiroshi Yasukawa.

Before departing Barcelona, he indicated in a statement that F1 is still important to Bridgestone.

“We hosted guests from the USA and Brazil as well as many from our European markets which has illustrated the importance of formula one as a business tool,” said Yasukawa.

“Our sales companies continue to support our formula one activities, showing the significance of this to our business.

“We are proud to have the support of all of the teams in this fantastic sport,” he added.

FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh said the teams are hoping the issue of 2011 tyre supply is settled in Monaco this weekend, but Stefano Domenicali fears it might take another week.

“There are four proposals that appear to be out there and maybe there’s another couple as well,” Whitmarsh confirmed to Reuters.

And with Michelin wanting tyre competitors and the smaller teams wanting cheaper options, the Briton admitted that the concept of multiple brands in F1 next year is not out of the question.

But he insisted: “If you use multiple suppliers, it has got to be controlled in terms of testing and development.”

(GMM)

The first official tests of MotoGP started together with the presentation of the motorcycles for the 2010 World Championship.  The Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Ducati test pilots have started the first session of the pre-season testing without official times.

The stars were the Japanese, Norihiko Fujiwara and Wataru Yoshikawa (Yamaha Factory), Kosuke Akiyoshi (Repsol Honda Team), Nobuatsu Aoki (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) and Vittoriano Guareschi (Ducati Marlboro Team).  Their activity in the tracks was followed with much attention by many official riders who already where in ‘boxes’, among them: Valentino Rossi, Jorge Lorenzo, Casey Stoner, Dani Pedrosa, Loris Capirossi, Nicky Hayden, as well as the debutants, Héctor Barberá, Álvaro Bautista and Hiroshi Aoyama.

During this first day, no official times have been announced.  Some said that in the Yamaha ‘box’ they assured their two pilots marked a better time of 2:07.34.

The Honda test rider, Kosuke Akiyoshi, rode both, Andrea Dovizioso’s motorcycle and Dani Pedrosa’s to be sure of the good operation of the basic standards and that the new evolutions that the official riders will try out tomorrow are also ready.

Ducati was the team with less attendance in the track.  Vittoriano Guareschi, Sport Director of the official team, but also test rider of the Italian motorcycle, only rolled half of the day.  In the afternoon, he met with the people who are responsible for the satellite ‘scuderias.