Japanese GP Preview Good vibrations on Bridgestone Motorsport Day – and high expectations for Motegi weekend The Japanese Grand Prix started with good vibrations for the Bridgestone riders in the MotoGP category: A cheering crowd of several hundred Bridgestone employees and racing enthusiasts welcomed the stars with warm applause and the best wishes for this weekend’s 12th round of the championship. Local hero Shinya Nakano and his Kawasaki team-mate Alex Hofmann, Ducati stars Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa, and Suzuki’s American top-gun John Hopkins were certainly in the limelight at the “Bridgestone Motorsport Day” on front of Bridgestone’s Technical Center in Kodaira, with live interviews on stage, with giveaways to the luckiest members of the crowd, and with a busy autograph session in the shade of a Bridgestone canopy. But it was not all about fun and entertainment at the Bridgestone pre-event. After their public appearance, the riders took the opportunity to experience some of the serious development work in the Tokyo plant, which not only holds production facilities for 3500 employees and for an output of 20000 car, truck and motorcycle tyres per day, but also hosts the top-secret research and development department for both top-categories in international road-racing, the MotoGP class and the Formula 1-championship. Whereas access to the holy heart of the development department is restricted even for most of the Bridgestone Grand Prix staff, the riders had the chance to witness a test session on the drum test facility, where the tyres are pushed through their paces, with speeds up to 350 kph, loads up to 1000 kg, camber angles of 10 to +60 degree, and slip angles of -10 to +10 degrees. “This is one of our most important facilities. Each tyre is tested here for strength and durability, and for its resistance against excessive heat build-up”, says Hiroshi Yamada, Bridgestone’s Motorcycle Racing Manager. “Within the development department, the F1-team and the MotoGP-team work in different groups, but on one level, to ensure a constant exchange of information.” Whereas tyre shape and tyre construction are obviously very different between cars and motorcycles, it is the compounds, the quest for ever more grip and durability, where the transfer of know-how and track experience happens the most. For the twisty and technically demanding Twin Ring Motegi, Bridgestone is especially confident, not only because of Loris Capirossi’s fantastic second place in the Czech Republic Grand Prix two weeks ago, but also because of Bridgestone’s vast experience on this track in other classes such as the All Nippon Championship. In last year’s Motegi Grand Prix, the Japanese tyre giant celebrated his best-ever MotoGP result with victory and third place, and is now aiming to repeat this success.