Bridgestone have now become the official MotoGP tyre supplier for three years after signing a deal with commercial rights holders Dorna.

Although the company's bosses are known not to be happy about the spec-tyre rule, they are putting a brave face on it with Director of Motorsport Hiroshi Yasukawa saying it's an honour.

“Becoming the ‘Official Tyre Supplier to the MotoGP World Championship’ is a prestigious honour for Bridgestone and we await the start of the 2009 season with great anticipation," he said.

“In these turbulent times of economic crisis, Bridgestone is delighted to be working positively with Dorna to make anexciting contribution to MotoGP. We are dedicated to our support of MotoGP and being chosen as the official tyre supplier shows the high regard in which we are held by the sport in which we have been involved since 2002.

"Our participation in MotoGP is an important element of our position as the foremost tyre supplier in motorsport. In supplying all MotoGP competitors we will treat manufacturers, teams and riders with fairness and to do this we can draw on our experience of supplying all of the teams in Formula One with our tyres for the past two seasons. We hope that having all riders using our tyres will mean exciting races in MotoGP for the next three seasons.”

MotoGP ringmaster Carmelo Ezpeleta added: "We’re delighted to have secured Bridgestone as sole tyre supplier for all teams in the MotoGP class of the FIM World Championship  for  the  next  three years.  Bridgestone  is  a  company  with  a  fantastic reputation and  they  make  an outstanding  contribution  to  motorsport.  

"We  strongly  believe  that  this  new  agreement  is  very  positive  as  it  will simultaneously reduce costs and increase competition in MotoGP.”