Loris Capirossi says 2012 tyre changes have made MotoGP safer
Loris Capirossi believes the tyre changes he recommended and Bridgestone implemented over 2012 have helped make MotoGP safer
The 2011 season was punctuated by a string of crashes, particularly during Friday practice, which were attributed to Bridgestone's compounds taking too long to warm up.
15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini also called for changes in the behaviour of MotoGP tyres following Marco Simoncelli's fatal accident at Sepang.
Capirossi, installed as safety advisor to the championship and its promoter Dorna at the end of 2011, said at the start of this year that improving the safety of Bridgestone's rubber would be his main priority.
The 39-year-old believes both he and Bridgestone have been successful in their subsequent endeavours.
"I'm proud of the work done on tyres: this year no one has broken any bones due to tyres not being up to temperature," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Bridgestone has worked well and I have pointed them in the right direction.
"It's not over yet: in 2013 we'll have tyres made specifically for the CRTs and perhaps there will be news regarding the number of tyres at everyone's disposal."
The Italian said he was also working on several other safety improvements and procedural revisions.
"We are working on small but important details, for example a guard for the front brake lever," he explained.
"Not everyone was convinced but I spoke with the riders. We try to understand the problems and solve them.
"We are [also] looking at a rider's protective gear: we don't want to see riders with overalls or helmets damaged by crashes.
"It's a question of safety - if the gear has already been put to work, it becomes less protective."
Lukas Pesek secures Ioda MotoGP CRT ride
Giacomo Agostini says Rossi and Lorenzo will renew hostilities
Why Honda and Yamaha have been left behind in MotoGP's new era
The once all-conquering Japanese manufacturers are going through a difficult period in MotoGP this season. With Suzuki quitting, Honda struggling to get near the podium and Yamaha only enjoying success courtesy of Fabio Quartararo, Japanese manufacturers have been left in the dust by their European counterparts. Key paddock figures explain why.
Who is Valentino Rossi’s newest MotoGP star?
Valentino Rossi’s protégés stole the show at Assen as Francesco Bagnaia stormed to victory to arrest a recent barren run. But it was the rider in second, on Bagnaia’s old bike, who had all eyes on him. Securing his and the VR46 team’s first MotoGP podium, Marco Bezzecchi has all the characteristics that made his mentor special
How Quartararo is evoking an absent MotoGP great in 2022
OPINION: Fabio Quartararo has seized control of the 2022 MotoGP world standings after another dominant victory as his nearest rivals faltered. And he is very much heading towards a second championship echoing how the dominator of the last decade achieved much of his success
The human importance of Marquez’s latest enforced MotoGP absence
OPINION: Marc Marquez will likely sit out the remainder of the 2022 MotoGP season to undergo a fourth major operation on the right arm he badly broke in 2020. It is hoped it will return him to his brilliant best after a tough start to the season without a podium to his name. But it’s the human victory that will far outweigh any future on-track success he may go on to have
Why Ducati holds all the power in its MotoGP rider dilemma
OPINION: The French Grand Prix looks to have made Ducati’s decision on its factory team line-up simpler, as Enea Bastianini stormed to his third win of the campaign and Jorge Martin crashed out for a fifth time in 2022. But, as Ducati suggests to Autosport, it remains in the strongest position in a wild rider market
The seismic aftershock left by Suzuki's decision to leave MotoGP
Suzuki's sudden decision to leave the MotoGP World Championship at the end of the season has acted as a stirring element in a market that had already erupted. Autosport analyses what this means for the grid going into 2023
How the real Ducati began to emerge in MotoGP’s Spanish GP
Ducati’s 2022 MotoGP bike has had a tough start to life and the expected early-season title charge from Francesco Bagnaia did not materialise. But the Spanish Grand Prix signalled a turning point for both the GP22 and Bagnaia, as the 2021 runner-up belatedly got his season underway after a straight fight with Fabio Quartararo
How Honda's praise for its 2022 MotoGP bike has turned into doubt
In a little over two months, Honda has gone from setting the pace in MotoGP testing with its new RC213V prototype to being at a crossroads - caused by the discrepancy in its riders' feedback. After a Portuguese GP that underwhelmed, serious questions are now being asked of Honda in 2022