Michelin boss doubts MotoGP will improve under single tyre rule

Michelin boss Jean-Philippe Weber has cast doubt on whether a single tyre rule will spice up the action in MotoGP as the French factory prepares to bow out of top-flight bike racing.

Weber said the move would not mean a repeat of the classis races witnessed prior to the introduction of the new generation 800cc machines in 2007.

“I don’t think it will change much. The racing will not be closer and there will be different problems. You need to have a broad range of tyres. If you only have hard tyres then the riders who can only use soft tyres are going to have problems.

“If you have a narrow range of products either way, it could be difficult for the races. MotoGP is an area where competition between tyre companies is a big part of the sport, “said Weber.

Weber also disputed claims that the single tyre rule would improve safety a lot in MotoGP, with concerns about high corner speeds raised earlier this season.
“Even if the bikes are two seconds slower, you are still going to be crashing at high speed. Maybe next year they will be a bit slower but development will catch up eventually, “he said.

Michelin didn’t even bother to apply for the one-make tyre contract because it clashed with its competition and development philosophy.

The decision to abstain from the bidding process left Bridgestone as the only interested party, with Michelin letting an October 3 deadline pass without a response.
“Michelin’s philosophy has always been to develop products in competition.

“We won a lot of titles, and while the results in the last two years weren’t as good as we expected, our position was always to have a high level of competition in MotoGP.

That was our philosophy. When it came to the single tyre rule, the company decided not to submit to the tender, because it is not the position we want to develop the products, “said Weber, who added that Michelin would have no regrets about bowing out of MotoGP for the first time since 1973.

He said: “We don’t regret anything because I think a mono tyre came out not only because of the tyre manufacturers. The teams and the riders played a big part and I’m not surprised it has gone in this direction when you see that every other major motorsport championship in two and four wheels has switched to a mono brand.”

“He denied that Dani Pedrosa’s controversial switch to Bridgestone for the last five races had been the catalyst for the tyre proposal, or that disastrous performances in Laguna Seca and Brno had also heavily contributed.”