Bridgestone Set to End MotoGP Tyre Deal in 2015

Japanese tyre manufacturer Bridgestone, asthma the Official Tyre Supplier to MotoGP since 2009, has revealed it will end its contract with the motorsport series after the 2015 Championship.

Bridgestone entered the MotoGP World Championship at the dawn of the modern four-stroke era in 2002. From this point onward, Bridgestone’s success rapidly gained momentum with multiple victories in the 2005 and 2006 seasons, culminating in a first MotoGP championship title with Ducati’s Casey Stoner in 2007. A second MotoGP™championship followed in 2008 with Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi, resulting in Bridgestone receiving the honour of being named the first ever Official Tyre Supplier to the series, thus achieving its objective of distinguishing itself as the world’s premier motorcycle tyre manufacturer.

Kyota Futami – General Manager, Global Motorsport Department, Bridgestone Corporation, said: “It is with some sadness that we will make our exit from MotoGP after such a prosperous participation in the sport. Yet, having achieved everything we set out to do when we entered the championship over ten years ago, including sharing in many MotoGP World Championships, our company believes it is the right time to implement an exit strategy from the series.

“Over the next two seasons we will continue our world-class level of support to all the teams and riders, and will keep investing heavily in our MotoGP tyre development programme. We will continue to push the boundaries of motorcycle tyre development over the next two years to ensure that we leave the championship at the end of 2015 in the best way possible.”