Okay, I figured it out.
Bridgestone built some ridiculously expensive tires for the new 800cc class referred to by the press as the 2007's. Bridgestone thought it would be sweet revenge to go out and quadruple their budget building special tires at a time when the manufacturers were calling for reduced tire costs. They thought it would be good payback for all the years Michelin used to run overnight specials. The actual tire costs to the teams for the 2007 spec Bridgestones was minimal, but the tires were extremely expensive to make, and Bridgestone were willing to operate at a huge loss (like they used to) to capture their first title. The development of the 2007's was a joint project with Ducati, Ducati knew how much money was being spent. Perhaps Bridgestone even violated a few testing restrictions
Nobody has ever done that before.
At the end of the season, Ezy threatened to throw Bstone out when they refused to supply the grid. Rather than risk expulsion Bridgestone came clean and told Ezy they had wildly overspent and couldn't afford to supply the grid. Ducati has no leverage because they have seen as collaborators and have been held accountable for indirectly violating the manufacturers agreement.
Ezy realized he couldn't move everyone to Michelin b/c it compromised the competitive integrity of the sport. He realized he couldn't allow Bridgestone/Ducati to win in perpetuity b/c they had violated the spirit of the covenant regulations. Michelin threatened to surrender if they didn't receive subsidies from the governing body to catch up. Ezy handed them a big fat subsidy and the Tech 3 team to develop. Colin was demoted to test tires. Coincidentally, Lorenzo landed right where Rossi didn't want him--on the factory squad. Rossi had no say b/c he was begging Ezy for B-stone rubber. That's how Lorenzo ended up riding next to Rossi.
At Qatar everyone lined up on their equipment of choice. Stoner had the 2007 spec tires. Pedrosa still had his special line of Michelins. Rossi was on the 2008s, he has never had access to the 2007s. Stoner obliterated the field and Ezy quickly realized no one had made significant improvements to challenge the Bridgestone/Ducati tandem. Citing reckless indiscretion and exercising his unlimited power to make the sport look better for marketing, Ezy banned Stoner from the 2007 tires. Other teams have been allowed to run them until Bridgestone can successfully transition them to new spec.
Calling Rossi's tires the 2008 spec is actually a misnomer. The 2008s are not a new technology they are the evolution of Bridgestone's old 990 technology. They are more or less Bridgestone's take on a Michelin tire, as you may remember, in 2006 Bridgestone ran quite well in Europe. The 2008's are the 800cc-developed descendant of the 2006 tire. Rossi was so convinced they would work like his old 990 tires, he ran an antiquated 990 setup for the first race at Qatar. Soft front, hard rear. It didn't go the way he wanted. The Yamaha melted his B-stones like they were Michelins too.
It was Michelin's fault he didn't win in 2006, right?
Anyway, Ezy put Michelin on the government juice so he could control them. He actually required Michelin to make mass recommendations to protect Bridgestone while they transitioned teams to different technology. At the early rounds of the season Eurosport reported DORNA had hoards of officials monitoring corner entry g's. The suspected it was for safety monitoring. It was actually to help Michelin find the tires most like the 2008 Bridgestones. When convenient, Ezy let Michelin give preferred tires to preferred riders at their home markets. Pedrosa got a hard rear at Jerez (no one else did). At Catalunya he was also off the pace in the late sessions and yet he ran away with the race. I suspect he received similar treatment for that round as well.
During the beginning of the season when Bridgestone was being forced to further develop their old 990 technology it was every man for himself. The reason Yamaha and Ducati showed up ill prepared to run the 2008 technology is because Bridgestone was banned from developing tires during the off season. As soon as the season began, Rossi/Burgess spearheaded for team Yamaha b/c they were the only ones who could, Sete Gibernau returned to spearhead development for Ducati. You may remember Gibby once rode a Ducati on 990 spec Bridgestones in 2006. He was never meant to race in the premier class again, he was at Mugello to test tires. When they saw he was barely off of Stoner's times with development rubber, he quickly became a logical replacement for Marco Melandri.
In typical fashion, Rossi/Burgess did a better development job than Stoner/Ducati, but after bringing Gibby on board, Stoner soon acquired the rubber to fight back. The real travesty is that during this transition period Ducati were flailing wildly to make progress and Stoner fell off of the championship pace while other teams rode around on his tires (as confirmed by Hopkins in a recent interview). Since Catlunya when a good 2008 Ducati Bridgestone was delivered to Stoner for the first time, the racing between Rossi and Stoner has more or less been fair. However, you may recall that Stoner was already 41 points behind at that point.
There is no conspiracy causing Stoner to crash in the last couple of rounds. I think the 2007 Bridgestones worked so ridiculously well at Brno and Misano that Stoner has simply had a bit of trouble adapting to his good-but-not-quite-equal 2008 spec tire.
Tertiary to the drama, I believe the Melandri rumors. I think Melandri was given the 2007 spec tire at China because his results were so bad, Ezy decided to throw Ducati a bone. Melandri rode quite well at China. I do believe that Ducati sent Melandri to Japan to see if they could make way for Gibby. Kawasaki have never run anything but the 2007 spec tires, I think Melandri found a home on that bike in Japan and really put in some really hot laps. Ducati got scared and kept him so as not to look like an unrideable bike while trying to get Hayden signed. I really wonder if Melandri is going to have access to the 2007s for the 2009 season. If he doesn't, it could be ugly.
Anywho, I have no idea what this means for a control tire next year. It does seem that Ezy may keep chucking money at Michelin and requiring them to run more satellite equipment in return. Bridgestone are still the brand to beat, but now that they have been forced to regress slightly, they are within reach of Michelin.
Hmmmmmm.........i thought it was in the bag, but Ezy may not be willing to gamble on a revolutionary change when Rossi has won another title; thus quelling the fan upheaval.
All quiet on the Western Front I suppose. No need to start another war with a control tire?
It will be interesting to see what happens.
Bridgestone built some ridiculously expensive tires for the new 800cc class referred to by the press as the 2007's. Bridgestone thought it would be sweet revenge to go out and quadruple their budget building special tires at a time when the manufacturers were calling for reduced tire costs. They thought it would be good payback for all the years Michelin used to run overnight specials. The actual tire costs to the teams for the 2007 spec Bridgestones was minimal, but the tires were extremely expensive to make, and Bridgestone were willing to operate at a huge loss (like they used to) to capture their first title. The development of the 2007's was a joint project with Ducati, Ducati knew how much money was being spent. Perhaps Bridgestone even violated a few testing restrictions
At the end of the season, Ezy threatened to throw Bstone out when they refused to supply the grid. Rather than risk expulsion Bridgestone came clean and told Ezy they had wildly overspent and couldn't afford to supply the grid. Ducati has no leverage because they have seen as collaborators and have been held accountable for indirectly violating the manufacturers agreement.
Ezy realized he couldn't move everyone to Michelin b/c it compromised the competitive integrity of the sport. He realized he couldn't allow Bridgestone/Ducati to win in perpetuity b/c they had violated the spirit of the covenant regulations. Michelin threatened to surrender if they didn't receive subsidies from the governing body to catch up. Ezy handed them a big fat subsidy and the Tech 3 team to develop. Colin was demoted to test tires. Coincidentally, Lorenzo landed right where Rossi didn't want him--on the factory squad. Rossi had no say b/c he was begging Ezy for B-stone rubber. That's how Lorenzo ended up riding next to Rossi.
At Qatar everyone lined up on their equipment of choice. Stoner had the 2007 spec tires. Pedrosa still had his special line of Michelins. Rossi was on the 2008s, he has never had access to the 2007s. Stoner obliterated the field and Ezy quickly realized no one had made significant improvements to challenge the Bridgestone/Ducati tandem. Citing reckless indiscretion and exercising his unlimited power to make the sport look better for marketing, Ezy banned Stoner from the 2007 tires. Other teams have been allowed to run them until Bridgestone can successfully transition them to new spec.
Calling Rossi's tires the 2008 spec is actually a misnomer. The 2008s are not a new technology they are the evolution of Bridgestone's old 990 technology. They are more or less Bridgestone's take on a Michelin tire, as you may remember, in 2006 Bridgestone ran quite well in Europe. The 2008's are the 800cc-developed descendant of the 2006 tire. Rossi was so convinced they would work like his old 990 tires, he ran an antiquated 990 setup for the first race at Qatar. Soft front, hard rear. It didn't go the way he wanted. The Yamaha melted his B-stones like they were Michelins too.
Anyway, Ezy put Michelin on the government juice so he could control them. He actually required Michelin to make mass recommendations to protect Bridgestone while they transitioned teams to different technology. At the early rounds of the season Eurosport reported DORNA had hoards of officials monitoring corner entry g's. The suspected it was for safety monitoring. It was actually to help Michelin find the tires most like the 2008 Bridgestones. When convenient, Ezy let Michelin give preferred tires to preferred riders at their home markets. Pedrosa got a hard rear at Jerez (no one else did). At Catalunya he was also off the pace in the late sessions and yet he ran away with the race. I suspect he received similar treatment for that round as well.
During the beginning of the season when Bridgestone was being forced to further develop their old 990 technology it was every man for himself. The reason Yamaha and Ducati showed up ill prepared to run the 2008 technology is because Bridgestone was banned from developing tires during the off season. As soon as the season began, Rossi/Burgess spearheaded for team Yamaha b/c they were the only ones who could, Sete Gibernau returned to spearhead development for Ducati. You may remember Gibby once rode a Ducati on 990 spec Bridgestones in 2006. He was never meant to race in the premier class again, he was at Mugello to test tires. When they saw he was barely off of Stoner's times with development rubber, he quickly became a logical replacement for Marco Melandri.
In typical fashion, Rossi/Burgess did a better development job than Stoner/Ducati, but after bringing Gibby on board, Stoner soon acquired the rubber to fight back. The real travesty is that during this transition period Ducati were flailing wildly to make progress and Stoner fell off of the championship pace while other teams rode around on his tires (as confirmed by Hopkins in a recent interview). Since Catlunya when a good 2008 Ducati Bridgestone was delivered to Stoner for the first time, the racing between Rossi and Stoner has more or less been fair. However, you may recall that Stoner was already 41 points behind at that point.
There is no conspiracy causing Stoner to crash in the last couple of rounds. I think the 2007 Bridgestones worked so ridiculously well at Brno and Misano that Stoner has simply had a bit of trouble adapting to his good-but-not-quite-equal 2008 spec tire.
Tertiary to the drama, I believe the Melandri rumors. I think Melandri was given the 2007 spec tire at China because his results were so bad, Ezy decided to throw Ducati a bone. Melandri rode quite well at China. I do believe that Ducati sent Melandri to Japan to see if they could make way for Gibby. Kawasaki have never run anything but the 2007 spec tires, I think Melandri found a home on that bike in Japan and really put in some really hot laps. Ducati got scared and kept him so as not to look like an unrideable bike while trying to get Hayden signed. I really wonder if Melandri is going to have access to the 2007s for the 2009 season. If he doesn't, it could be ugly.
Anywho, I have no idea what this means for a control tire next year. It does seem that Ezy may keep chucking money at Michelin and requiring them to run more satellite equipment in return. Bridgestone are still the brand to beat, but now that they have been forced to regress slightly, they are within reach of Michelin.
Hmmmmmm.........i thought it was in the bag, but Ezy may not be willing to gamble on a revolutionary change when Rossi has won another title; thus quelling the fan upheaval.
All quiet on the Western Front I suppose. No need to start another war with a control tire?
It will be interesting to see what happens.
