Tyre rules amended for 2008

After confirmation that the tyre war will continue next season, with Dorna withdrawing the possibility of switching to a single supplier, changes were expected to the number of tyres that riders are allowed to use for each race weekend.

This season riders on Michelins and Bridgestones were limited to 14 front and 17 rear tyres per event, and had to nominate their compound choices on the evening before practice began.

As of next season, that allowance will be increased to 18 fronts and 22 rears in dry conditions.

Dunlop riders will still be excluded from that restrictions as the British manufacturer has not recently won any MotoGP races.

On top of that, tyre companies are each expected to nominate, before the start of the 2008 season, a GP circuit where they can test for a maximum of four days per year, provided the MotoGP race has already been run on for the season. No rider designated by any MotoGP team will be permitted to take part in these tests.

Finally, tyre companies must organize a test of a maximum of 2 days at new circuits and totally re-surfaced tracks at least four weeks before the race. While the test is open to all MotoGP tyre and motorcycle manufacturers, no rider designated by a MotoGP team will be permitted to take part in these tests.

The full statement by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM)

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix

Amendment to the Regulations (MotoGP tyres)

The Grand Prix Commission, composed of Messrs. Carmelo Ezpeleta (Dorna, Chairman), Claude Danis (FIM), Hervé Poncharal (IRTA) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA), in the presence of Messrs Vito Ippolito, FIM President, and Paul Butler (Secretary of the meeting), in a meeting held today at the circuit of Valencia, unanimously decided to introduce the following amendment to the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations - application as from 1st January 2008.

Technical Regulations

2.9. Tyre restrictions for MotoGP

2.9.3 Teams that are supplied by a tyre manufacturer that has achieved at least two MotoGP race wins in dry conditions since the first race of the 2005 season will be restricted in the quantity of slick tyres that each of the teams riders may use at a single event as follows:

During all practice sessions, warm up and the race a maximum of 40 slick tyres, specifically:
Front tyres: 18
Rear tyres: 22

It has been further decided, also for application as from 1.1.2008, that tyre companies competing in the MotoGP class can, prior to the start of the first race of the season, nominate one GP circuit on which they can test for a maximum of 4 days per year, at any time after the GP has been held at that particular circuit. No rider designated by any MotoGP team will be permitted to take part in these tests.

Whenever a new circuit is introduced in the MotoGP calendar for the first time or whenever an existing circuit is totally resurfaced, then a tyre test of a maximum of 2 days of duration must be organised at that circuit a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the race. This test will be open to all tyre and motorcycle manufacturers competing in the MotoGP class, but no rider designated by a MotoGP team will be permitted to take part in these tests.