San Marino Grand Prix, Misano: Bridgestone Practice Review

Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham topped the timesheets at Misano today as the Czech rider fared best on a day where both practice sessions fell victim to foul weather.

Abraham posted a best time of 1’42.030 to head the thirteen riders who braved the elements today, his benchmark time set on the combination of the softer option slicks front and back during FP2 on a track that was mainly dry but with damp patches scattered about the surface. Danilo Petrucci, who enjoyed his first sessions on his new IODA-Suter machine was second quickest overall, while Paul Bird Motorsport’s James Ellison ended Friday practice as the third quickest rider.

The unsettled weather resulted in many riders opting not to head out on track in both of today’s sessions. Tyre selection for those riders that did take part in practice today was split between wet tyres and the softer option slick tyres as intermittent rain caused the grip level of the track surface to constantly change. Even though some riders were able to lap faster on slick tyres than on wets, damp patches persisted on track for the whole day meaning that lap times were approximately ten seconds slower than can be expected in optimal conditions.

Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
Weather: FP1 – Wet. Ambient 18-19°C; Track 15-17°C (Bridgestone measurement)
FP2 – Wet. Ambient 20-19°C; Track 17-18°C (Bridgestone measurement)

Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department
“Today’s weather conditions were quite extreme with rain and strong winds resulting in a track surface that was neither fully dry nor fully wet, while also keeping track temperatures very low. Misano is a circuit where riders require maximum feeling from the front-end of the bike, so with the grip levels being quite variable due to damp patches on track, many riders chose not to run in today’s sessions. With track temperatures being quite cold today, those riders that did go out on slicks chose the softer compound options for their greater warm-up performance and edge grip. The weather forecast for tomorrow suggests that FP3 could also be rain affected, though there is a good chance that the qualifying session will take place in dry conditions.”

Source: Bridgestone Motorsport Press Release