This is the first Italian visit of the year for Michelin, to Mugello, for the Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley, sixth round of the MotoGP™ World Championship.
Mugello is one of the most spectacular and complex circuits on the calendar with its six left turns and nine right turns. It's a mix of fast and slow curves, with elevation and an extremely fast straight line where drivers exceed 350 km/h. The MICHELIN Power Slick must meet all these constraints, without forgetting very violent braking and significant slopes which are very taxing on the rubber and the architecture of the tire. The Michelin range is designed to satisfy all riders and all motorcycles.
To tackle the 5,245 km of Mugello, Michelin offers soft, medium and hard slicks for the front and rear, developed for all the difficulties that will mark this Italian Grand Prix. The front MICHELIN Power Slicks have a symmetrical design, as does the soft rear, while the medium and hard rear have an asymmetrical design with a reinforced right shoulder to support the greater efforts on that side.
Mugello occupies a special place in the hearts of fans, due to its geographical location, in Tuscany, some 30 km northeast of Florence, and its marvelous landscapes. This circuit is one of the most beautiful in the world. The Tuscan hills encircle the track, but they can also bring rain. In this case, the MICHELIN Power Rain are available in soft and medium for the front and rear. The rear two have an asymmetrical design with a harder right side, while the fronts are symmetrical.
Mugello is one of the most anticipated events of the season with a colorful and enthusiastic crowd massing on the natural stands. The most passionate arrive on Thursday to find the best spot. The public will already be numerous for the first tests on Friday 1er June. Qualifying will take place on Saturday afternoon and will decide the starting grid for the 23-lap long race, which will start on Sunday at 14:00 p.m. And of course, fans will be sure to invade the track after the finish to celebrate their heroes at the foot of the podium.
Piero Taramasso – Two-wheel Manager, Michelin Motorsport:
“After all the excitement of the Michelin National Grand Prix at Le Mans, now it's time for this very complex and demanding circuit for the tires which are put to a very severe test in these sequences of curves and very violent braking, as well as in the long straight line. We had to take all these characteristics into account to choose the best range of tires at the start of the year. This was one of the most difficult races to plan. We conducted tests at Mugello just before Le Mans to confirm certain things. We also achieved very fast, but unofficial, times, so it would be good to repeat these performances on the race weekend. »
