Masao Azuma of Bridgestone says that tyre selection at Laguna Seca remains a mystery – MotoGP news
Masao Azuma, Chief Engineer Bridgestone Motorsport development department, believes that the best selection of hard and soft compound tyres in the United States Grand Prix is still a hard one to make.
Several riders had to face incidents on the Laguna Seca circuit. Masao Azuma, the former rider, is of the view that options of soft and hard compound rear tyres were available but their choice depends on the riders themselves and their preferences of grip
or durability.
Azuma said, “During long runs in free practice and qualifying it was clear that both the softer and harder rear slicks were viable options for the race, but it would come down to which rear tyre better suited the bike setup and riding style of individual
riders.”
Explaining the types of tyres further, the former Japanese rider said that hard compound tyres are more durable whereas soft compound tyres give consistent grip through the race. He added that the hard or soft compound only helps if the bike setup and riding
style of rider is in accordance.
“The race was won on the softer rear slick and the fastest race lap was set on the harder rear slick so the determining factors were riders selecting a tyre that provided the best feel, and what grip characteristics the rider preferred over the duration
of the race,” he said.
Casey Stoner who was using soft compound rear tyres won the US Grand Prix. However, Jorge Lorenzo recorded the fastest lap with a time of 1 minute and 20.554 seconds with a hard compound rear tyre. The Japanese said that the best selection of tyres at Laguna
Seca was the one with which the rider felt most comfortable.
Furthermore, he said that the temperature on the circuit was almost the same as it was in the practice and qualifying rounds. Azuma said that it can be concluded that both slick tyres were usable on the circuit however, it is difficult to say which selection
was the best.
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