Jerez MotoGP: Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner disagree on tyre rule

Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner have clashed over the controversial single tyre rule introduced for the 2010 MotoGP world championship.

Fiat Yamaha rider Rossi has been a vocal opponent of the limit on just two front and rear tyre compounds allocated by Bridgestone per race.

Each rider gets 20 tyres a weekend – 12 rears and eight fronts – with just two different spec front and rear compounds available.

But that is inadequate, says Rossi, who submitted a formal request to Bridgestone and Dorna at the Twin Ring Motegi last weekend for one more front and rear compound to be made available on a race weekend. The total would remain 20 tyres though.

He said: “It is more dangerous because we don’t have enough tyres. We need more tyres, not quantity but more choices because like this it is difficult. I think it is a good idea the mono tyre but not like this. “I think we need three different tyres. 

“We don’t have enough choice with one hard and one soft. I think the situation is something strange when World Superbike has more tyres than MotoGP.

“When they spoke about the mono tyre nobody expected just two tyres. When they arrived and said just two tyres we all said f**k.”

The majority of his colleagues heavily support Rossi’s appeal. Not so though by chief adversary Stoner.

The Aussie said: “I find the system to be working well. I don’t think it’s an issue of safety. I think if everybody’s on the same tyres, we’re all in the same situation.

“We’ve got a soft tyre and a hard tyre. It hasn’t been so bad and I think the situation will only improve when we get to circuits that we expect the temperature to be more normal.”

One issue for Rossi is that Bridgestone has already made tyres up to the British GP at Donington Park in late July.

And with its business severely impacted by the global credit crunch, the Japanese factory is reluctant to spend more money making additional tyres.

It can make tyres so far in advance now that tyres are being shipped to races by boat, instead of being flown in for races.

That’s meant a massive 30 per cent reduction in freight costs, and Bridgestone now brings in just 700 tyres per weekend for the entire grid. In 2008, it was flying in 1100 tyres for just 12 riders.

The issue will be further debated during this weekend’s Spanish MotoGP clash in Jerez.