[kropotkin thinks...] - Bridgestone Testing 2010 Tires Because Of 2009 Testing Restri

[Ninjette Newsbot]

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Throughout the not-so-merry saga of cost cutting proposals being put forward by the Grand Prix Commission to deal with the global financial crisis, MotoGPMatters.com has warned about the law of unintended consequences. Several of the proposed rule changes, we said, would end up costing more money in the short term for uncertain savings in the long term. Our fears have already been confirmed by Yamaha's technical chief Masao Furusawa, who said that Yamaha would be spending more money in the short term to increase engine durability.

Further confirmation of our suspicions has been forthcoming from Bridgestone. In the press release issued by the Japanese tire manufacturer after the Qatar tests, Bridgestone's motorcycle race tyre development manager Tohro Ubukata said that the testing restrictions introduced this year are forcing the company to start work on its 2010 tires already.

"The recent FIM regulation changes have affected our development plan so looking now at development for 2010 is very important. We now have to finish 80 per cent of our development for next season during this winter testing period because in-season testing has been significantly reduced. As a result, as well as bringing the soft and medium compound tyres from this year’s line-up, we brought some new compounds in development for 2010, where the target is to give the tyres a wider still operating range," Ubukata said in the press release.

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