Michelin saw the MotoGP World Championship™ 2019 found a premature end on the Chang International Circuit with the victory of Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) sealed in the final turn of the last lap which allowed him to win the title at the PTT Thailand Grand Prix where the manufacturer of French tires broke all records this weekend.
Starting from second position on the grid, Márquez remained stuck behind pole sitter Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The Yamaha rider – who had broken the lap record on the 4,554 km Buriram circuit the day before in qualifying – had got the best start and led the race with authority despite his rookie status. Both men attacked very hard, with complete confidence thanks to their MICHELIN Power Slicks, improving the lap records in the race. It was ultimately Marquez who set the new record at 11e passage. With the fight in full swing, Marquez overtook his opponent on the final lap. The Frenchman nevertheless came back and even regained his possession at the entrance to the last corner. But the reigning champion saw an opportunity and used all the grip and performance of his Michelin tires to come out of that final corner in the lead, take a superb victory and clinch the world title. Quartararo finished a magnificent second, winning the First Independent Rider category and also increasing his lead in the Rookie ranking.
Conditions were mixed in Buriram this weekend with warm and sunny weather on the first day which allowed for fast laps to be completed during the two free practice sessions while the drivers tested the different tires of the MICHELIN Power Slicks with a view to the race. This year is the first time that the MICHELIN Power Rain was used on the Thai circuit, in the pouring rain during session 3 on Saturday morning. This allowed all drivers to test all the rain tires and analyze their performance on the Buriram asphalt. Fortunately, the track had dried completely by the afternoon and Quartararo broke the lap record in qualifying, as did Marquez and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). On race day, clouds kept the track temperature at 48°C, ideal conditions for the MICHELIN Power Slicks soft rear tire to provide maximum grip and consistency. All the drivers chose this option which was indeed very efficient, while the race duration record was beaten by almost 20 seconds. And these are not the only records that fell this weekend since Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) beat that of the maximum speed on this circuit with 332,3 km/h in free practice 2. Behind Márquez and Quartararo, Viñales completes the final podium ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), Álex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) fifth, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) sixth and Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) seventh. Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Petrucci and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) complete the top ten.
95 spectators found their place in the stands to witness Marquez's eighth Grand Prix victory, his sixth in the MotoGP category. It is also his fourth title in a row – won on Michelin tires – and he joins illustrious drivers who have also won four crowns in a row, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini, Mick Doohan and Rossi. It's the 352e time that the premier category is won by a driver running on Michelin tires.
After a brief return to Europe, Michelin will leave for a three-week “Pacific Tour”, starting with the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, at Twin Ring Motegi (Japan) on Sunday October 20, before Australia and Malaysia.
Marc Márquez – Repsol Honda Team:
“I’m delighted because we won the race and the title like a “champion”! It's incredible to win this race and my fourth consecutive title with Michelin. It's fantastic. I was told it was the 30the championship for Michelin and I am really very happy to have made my contribution. It's been an incredible season and I'm perfectly comfortable with these tires. I work a lot with Clément my technician, and Piero takes great care of all the drivers and he knows very well what is expected. It's great for the championship. »
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“It was a truly impressive weekend for Michelin because we broke all the records and demonstrated that the tires were capable of delivering their performance until the end. Mission accomplished. But we are not going to rest on our laurels, because we know that we can improve and we now have more information after this second race in Buriram. Next season it will take place earlier and the conditions will be different. It is therefore important to have been able to test all the tires this weekend and see the best performance. With all the data collected last year, we developed front and rear tires that were perfectly suited to all drivers and performed well in these particular conditions. We will now study the data to have more choices next year, which we are always looking to do. On the other hand, it is also very positive that all the drivers have adopted a solution. They were all satisfied from the rear and the front. »
“Congratulations to Marc for his fourth title, he is an incredible competitor and he has shown great consistency this season. On behalf of Michelin, I would like to congratulate him on his fourth consecutive title with Michelin. »
