MotoGP tyre men Bridgestone will debut a soft-compound asymmetric slick at the Le Mans MotoGP round which features soft compound rubber in the right shoulder with extra soft compound in the left side.

Initially scheduled for first use at the postponed Japanese Grand Prix, Le Mans now represents the debut for this tyre which will provide better initial grip and warm-up performance and will provide better performance in the cold conditions that can be expected in France. The nature of the Le Mans circuit is also slippery which demands softer compound rubber to generate good grip.

“Le Mans is a slippery and smooth circuit, and run early in the year when the track temperature is low, so softer compound tyres are required to generate grip and this is why we will use our new soft asymmetric rear tyre in France," said spokesman Hirohide Hamashima.

"We developed the extra soft compound at the end of last year and used it in Portugal and Valencia, but over the winter we have incorporated it into a soft compound asymmetric tyre which is totally new. It is designed to work when the conditions are colder to warm-up faster and provide riders with better feeling in the first stages of use."