Dorna withdraws control tyre proposal

The single tyre idea was floated at the Japanese Grand Prix on September 22 by Carmelo Ezpeleta of Dorna.

Many believed the proposal was a veiled threat intended to encourage Bridgestone to give Valentino Rossi its tyres for next year.

There had been suggestions that Michelin's inferiority in some mid-season races and Casey Stoner's dominance had harmed the quality of 'the show' in MotoGP, and that getting Rossi on to the same tyres as the new champion would resolve this problem.

Bridgestone MotoGP Boss Hiroshi Yamada said at the weekend in Malaysia that Bridgestone was approached by Dorna to supply Rossi's Yamaha as a way of quelling talk that a single tyre formula was required for 2008.

The Japanese tyre company has a policy of not commenting on contractual obligations as its deals are with the teams, leaving it for them to comment upon those contracts instead.

The situation now means that either Rossi has patched things up with Michelin, or he will be the only Yamaha on Bridgestones next year.