Moto Gp Racing : Tyre selection is critical, usually done by the individual rider based on bike 'feel' during practice, qualifying and the pre-race warm-up laps on the morning of the race, as well as the predicted weather. The typical compromise is between grip and longevity--the softer and 'grippier' the tyre, the more quickly it wears out; the harder and less grippy, the more likely the tyre is to last the entire race. Conserving rubber throughout a race is a specific talent winning riders acquire. Special 'Q' or qualifying tyres of extreme softness and grip are typically used during grid-qualifying sessions, but they last typically no longer than one or two laps, though they may deliver higher qualifying speeds. In wet conditions, special tyres ('wets') with full treads are used, but they suffer extreme wear if the track dries out.MotoGP New tire regulations introduced in 2007 limited the number of tires any rider could use over the practice and qualifying period, and the race itself, to a maximum of 31 tires (14 fronts and 17 rears) per rider . This introduced a problem of tyre choice vs. weather (among other factors) that challenges riders and teams to optimize their performance on race day. This factor was greeted with varying degrees of enthusiasm by participants. For 2008 a 'spec' tyre rule was being considered, where one brand would serve as a control tyre for the whole grid. Bridgestone had dominated in 2007 and Michelin riders Valentino Rossi, Nicky Hayden, Dani Pedrosa, and Colin Edwards all acknowledged shortcomings in Michelin's race tyres relative to Bridgestone in 2007. Rossi, disappointed with and critical of the performance of his Michelin tyres, switched to Bridgestones for 2008.
Instead of a 'spec' tyre in which all riders use tyres from one manufacturer, as is used in World Superbike, the MotoGP rules for 2008 have been amended to allow more tyres per race weekend, 18 fronts and 22 rears for a total of 40 tyres. The lower number of tyres per weekend was considered a handicap to Michelin riders. The only MotoGP team using Dunlops in 2007, Yamaha Tech 3, will not be using them in 2008.