Bridgestone has been the sole tire supplier for MotoGP since 2009, after most of the riders demanded a switch to Japanese tire manufacturer, leaving Michelin with no option than a pull-out.
At the end of next year Bridgestone’s contract with Dorna will expire and to renew may decide to ask all the teams an economic contribution.
Hiroshi Yamada, Bridgestone’s Motorcycle Sport Unit Manager is in discussions with Dorna and it seems that the one of the requests will be that the teams pay for their tires, just like Moto2 teams pay Dunlop (about $40.
000 a season).
According to Italy’s Motosprint, Yamaha was vague when asked if Bridgestone will still continue to supply tires in the future, stating that the decision will probably be made at the final round of the season at Valencia adding his personal opinion that Bridgestone’s bigwigs are happy about these years and the success of their tires, but many are worried about the current economic situation which clashes with excessive spending in research and investments in racing.