Bridgestone to test front qualifier

Bridgestone will experiment with a new front qualifying tyre at the MotoGP test immediately after this weekend’s Spanish GP.

The soft front designed specifically for use in qualifying was due to be tested after the season’s opening race in Qatar, but strong winds severely restricted track time and the test was aborted.

Bridgestone will unveil the new front qualifying tyre in a bid to help top riders like Casey Stoner, Loris Capirossi and Marco Melandri secure higher grid positions, which is now more crucial than ever before.

Michelin’s new 16-inch rear qualifying tyre has been a big improvement on last year’s, and Bridgestone is now looking to gain an advantage in other areas.
Melandri said: “The problem is that with the extra grip of the rear tyre it just pushes the front too much. So we have been looking at a front qualifying tyre for a while.”
Bridgestone boss Hiroshi Yamada confirmed that the new front qualifier would be tested weather permitting on Monday.

If Bridgestone starting introducing a front qualifying tyre, it would have be taken as part of the 14 front tyres a rider can choose under the new regulations that restrict them to 31 tyres over a race weekend.