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Bridgestone pulls out of MotoGP

Bridgestone tyres has made a shocking announcement that it will pull out of MotoGP at the end of next season.

Having been the sole supplier to the grand prix since 2009, the announcement wasn’t quite expected. Bridgestone has been the sole rubber supplier to the championship after Michelin withdrew and the MotoGP switched to control tyre rules.

The reason given by the Japanese firm’s general manager of global motorsport development, Kyota Futami went along the lines of the company having achieved all of its MotoGP objectives.

“It is with some sadness that we will make our exit from MotoGP after such a prosperous participation in the sport,” he said.

“Yet, having achieved everything we set out to do when we entered the championship over 10 years ago, including sharing in many MotoGP world championships, our company believes it is the right time to implement an exit strategy from the series.”

“Over the next two seasons we will continue our world-class level of support to all the teams and riders, and will keep investing heavily in our MotoGP tyre development programme.

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“We will continue to push the boundaries of motorcycle tyre development over the next two years to ensure that we leave the championship at the end of 2015 in the best way possible.”

Bridgestone has been involved in MotoGP since 2002 and took its first victory with Makoto Tamada in the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix. The brand won its first MotoGP riders title with Ducati in 2007 when Casey Stoner secured the world champion title.

Co-founder of Bikes Republic and a motoring journalist by night. He is a self described enthusiasts with a passion for speed but instead rides a Harley and a J300. A man of contradictions, he is just as passionate about time off in the quiets as he is about trail braking into turn one at Sepang Circuit on two or four wheels.

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