With Ducati switching their factory MotoGP squad to Bridgestones, here’s how the Bridgestone vs. Michelin battle will shape up for 2005. The official factory squads for Ducati, Suzuki, and Kawasaki will all race on Bridgestone tires, while Honda and Yamaha race on Michelins.
While Michelin will arguably have the best riders, including Valentino Rossi, Max Biaggi, and Sete Gibernau, there will be plenty of fast riders running Bridgestones, including former champ Kenny Roberts at Suzuki, Loris Capirossi at Ducati and Shinya Nakano at Kawasaki.
A likely scenario? Some tracks will favor Michelins and other tracks will favor Bridgestones in 2005. This should create more podium (and even victory) opportunities for Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki. Expect Ducati, in particular, to be strong at the tracks where Bridgestones go well.
The arrival of Bridgestone as a legitimate threat to Michelin’s dominance of MotoGP has created another interesting twist for the 2005 season.
