You may remember that a month ago, . While still able to stay in the race, fans watched as the Spainard began slowing down, unable to challenge the Fiat Yamahas any further. Pedrosa would finish 3rd for the day, but some serious questions and concerns were being asked of Bridgestone, the sole tire provider of the series.
Bridgestone has now confirmed that faulty construction of the tire allowed a foreign element to be embedded in the rubber, which later broke out, taking chunks of rubber with it.
At the post race debrief of French GP at Le Mans, Bridgestone Motorsport Manager, Tohru Ubukata, released his findings regarding Pedrosa’s tire issue, stating that:
“Since Motegi we have also learned more about Dani’s front tire. After a detailed inspection, we found a small foreign object that had become embedded within the tread of the front slick. This was the origin of a weak point in the tread of the tire which, during the course of the race, worked its way to the surface, causing a crack to form in the rubber.”
With Dani Pedrosa only 9 points behind series leader Jorge Lorenzo, and with four riders within striking distance of the top spot in the Championship standings, this tire fault could mean the difference for Pedrosa. As always, time will tell.
Source: Bridgestone via TwoWheelsBlog
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