Michelin should have plenty of company in next year’s MotoGP road racing series. Dunlop and Bridgestone will join the show, and racing should be better for it.
With F1 the most recent example, automobile racing series that have gone from one tire manufacturer to a competitive environment for tires have seen dramatic improvements in grip and lap times. If Michelin had some sort of monopoly on 500 GP rubber, the new, four-stroke rules mean several tire manufacturers are starting from scratch.
Bridgestone, of course, is working with Erv Kanemoto’s new team to develop a tire specifically for Kanemoto’s V-4 Honda two-Stroke 500, but there is no reason to expect Bridgestone to stay out of the four-stroke game.
Dunlop has plenty of experience in four-stroke racing, including WSB and national Superbike series. It has traditionally been the tire of choice for four-stroke riders who like to slide, such as Noriyuki Haga and Ben Bostrom. Indeed, it is somewhat puzzling that Haga is leaving GP just as the opportunity to race a four-stroke shod with Dunlops is arising. MD is not alone in thinking Haga could be devastatingly quick under these circumstances. Neither the two-stroke 500 nor it’s Michelin tires suited his style last year.
In any event, the existence of competing tire manufacturers in next year’s MotoGP series just adds to the anticipation and excitement.
