Joined Feb 2007
11K Posts | 2K+
Tennessee
Except for a small change in testing
Speculation came to a head at Misano, as senior figures from the three tire makers, Bridgestone, Dunlop and Michelin, got together to discuss how the tire regulations have worked this year, and how they will work next year. At the time, Jean-Philippe Weber talked about some of the changes he'd like to see made, such as a small increase in the numbers of tires allowed, and larger changes to the testing restrictions, which currently forbid teams from testing at tracks which are to be raced at outside of the official test program on the days following a race.
But now, it seems that little, if anything, will be changed after all. Dutch news site Racesport.nl is quoting Bridgestone's Motorsport Manager Hiroshi Yamada as saying that the tire regulations will remain unchanged for the 2008 season, and that the testing restrictions are still under discussion for next year.
The most likely scenario would appear to be that the rules governing tire numbers and selection remain unchanged for 2008, with some minor tweaking of the testing rules, allowing limited testing at tracks which have been resurfaced, or some time before the races will be run, in order to gather data. Such a move would be the most logical, as the tire regulations are only in their first season, and the tire makers, or at least the tire maker based in Clermont Ferrand, need more time to find working methods which allow them to handle the tire restrictions most effectively.
This scenario is gaining more and more foothold in the paddock, as various senior figures have expressed their support for leaving the tire rules untouched. At the pre-race press conference on Thursday, Davide Brivio, team principal for Fiat Yamaha, stated that he felt that there was no need to change the tire rules, echoing sentiments expressed earlier by Valentino Rossi's crew chief Jeremy Burgess.
Speculation came to a head at Misano, as senior figures from the three tire makers, Bridgestone, Dunlop and Michelin, got together to discuss how the tire regulations have worked this year, and how they will work next year. At the time, Jean-Philippe Weber talked about some of the changes he'd like to see made, such as a small increase in the numbers of tires allowed, and larger changes to the testing restrictions, which currently forbid teams from testing at tracks which are to be raced at outside of the official test program on the days following a race.
But now, it seems that little, if anything, will be changed after all. Dutch news site Racesport.nl is quoting Bridgestone's Motorsport Manager Hiroshi Yamada as saying that the tire regulations will remain unchanged for the 2008 season, and that the testing restrictions are still under discussion for next year.
The most likely scenario would appear to be that the rules governing tire numbers and selection remain unchanged for 2008, with some minor tweaking of the testing rules, allowing limited testing at tracks which have been resurfaced, or some time before the races will be run, in order to gather data. Such a move would be the most logical, as the tire regulations are only in their first season, and the tire makers, or at least the tire maker based in Clermont Ferrand, need more time to find working methods which allow them to handle the tire restrictions most effectively.
This scenario is gaining more and more foothold in the paddock, as various senior figures have expressed their support for leaving the tire rules untouched. At the pre-race press conference on Thursday, Davide Brivio, team principal for Fiat Yamaha, stated that he felt that there was no need to change the tire rules, echoing sentiments expressed earlier by Valentino Rossi's crew chief Jeremy Burgess.
