Moto3: New Dunlops 'make tyre choice difficult'

Dunlop hopes to make Moto3 tyre choice 'much more difficult' with the debut of new options for this weekend's Le Mans round.

The Soft '1' and Medium '1' rears use the same construction as their predecessors, but have a new compound that has been developed and tested over the last 18 months, receiving final confirmation at a post-race test in Jerez last week.

The Soft '1' is stronger and has been designed to be a more attractive race option, while the Medium '1' has more grip, strength and a wider operating window.

"Our aim with the new Moto3 options is to make tyre choice much more difficult," explained Dunlop Motorsport's international event manager Simon Betney.

"The 2014 medium was versatile and well-loved so it riders would seldom choose anything else. The new medium is an improvement but the soft could give riders a whole new race strategy.

"While both retain grip levels through a race distance, the soft has a peak performance earlier in the race compared to the medium that can possibly bring an advantage towards the end.

"Hopefully we will see some exciting racing with varied strategies."

Dunlop has allocated the softest tyres in its range for Moto3 (and Moto2) this weekend.

"Le Mans is one of the lowest energy tracks so we are giving the riders the option to choose the softest tyres available for this season," Betney confirmed.

"Even though it was very warm last year the majority of riders went for the softest options so it will be interesting to see if they like the softer-still 2015 variants."

From Le Mans onwards the Moto3 front tyres will have a new size with a narrower and deeper profile, aimed at improving feedback and grip.