Bridgestone 2009 season preview

Bridgestone looks forward to Official Tyre Supplier Status from 2009

Bridgestone is pleased to confirm that it has signed the final contract with Dorna to be the Official Tyre Supplier for the MotoGP class in the FIM MotoGP World Championship for a three-year period commencing with the 2009 season. This follows a tender process which took place in 2008.

The agreement covers the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons where all MotoGP competitors will exclusively use Bridgestone tyres. Riders using Bridgestone tyres have won the past two MotoGP seasons. In 2007 Ducati rider Casey Stoner was the first competitor to win the title using Bridgestone tyres, whilst Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi won last season's title.

The opening round of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship will take place at the Losail circuit in Doha, Qatar on the evening of April 12th.

Carmelo Ezpeleta, Chief Executive Officer of Dorna, said: "We're delighted to have secured Bridgestone as sole tyre supplier for all teams in the MotoGP class of the FIM World Championship for the next three years. Bridgestone is a company with a fantastic reputation and they make an outstanding contribution to motorsport. We strongly believe that this new agreement is very positive as it will simultaneously reduce costs and increase competition in MotoGP."

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, said:

"Becoming the 'Official Tyre Supplier to the MotoGP World Championship' is a prestigious honour for Bridgestone and we await the start of the 2009 season with great anticipation.

"In these turbulent times of economic crisis, Bridgestone is delighted to be working positively with Dorna to make an exciting contribution to MotoGP. We are dedicated to our support of MotoGP and being chosen as the official tyre supplier shows the high regard in which we are held by the sport in which we have been involved since 2002. Our participation in MotoGP is an important element of our position as the foremost tyre supplier in motorsport.

"In supplying all MotoGP competitors we will treat manufacturers, teams and riders with fairness and to do this we can draw on our experience of supplying all of the teams in Formula One with our tyres for the past two seasons. We hope that having all riders using our tyres will mean exciting races in MotoGP for the next three seasons."

Bridgestone in MotoGP:

Bridgestone is celebrating its eighth season as a tyre supplier to teams competing in the FIM MotoGP World Championship. During this period 2 Championships, 35 victories, 32 poles and 5021 points have been achieved on Bridgestone MotoGP tyres.

Bridgestone in Formula One and the GP2 Series:

Bridgestone is the Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship for 2008-2010. Since Bridgestone's participation in F1 began in 1997, 9 constructors' and drivers' championships have been achieved on Bridgestone F1 tyres. Bridgestone is also the official tyre supplier to the GP2 Series until the end of the 2010 season.

-credit: bridgestone