Michelin saw a third different rider win in MotoGP™ this season with the success of national hero Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España at the Jerez circuit (Spain), fourth round of the World Championship.
Pedrosa had qualified on pole position yesterday and the Spaniard took the lead at the first corner. He never looked back and increased his lead over the rest of the field over the 27 laps of the race. A victory that will go down in history because it was the 3000e Motorcycle Grand Prix in all categories.
The only rider able to resist him was his teammate Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), equipped with MICHELIN Power Slicks hard tires at the front and rear – Pedrosa had chosen a hard at the front and a medium at the rear. back. The outgoing champion attacked hard to reduce the gap on his compatriot, but he had to settle for second place to score valuable points in the World Championship. The last step of the podium is occupied by Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), his first podium with the Ducati brand. Its choice of medium tire at the front and rear once again highlighted the different options taken by the riders among several compounds offered by Michelin depending on the machines and riding styles.
The First Independent Rider prize was awarded to Johan Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), fourth, his best result, after a mature race. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took fifth place ahead of Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). Danilo Petrucci (OCTO Pramac Racing) placed a third Ducati in the top-7, while Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) finished 8e. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and championship leader Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) complete the top-10. Rossi remains championship leader, but with a very slim advantage.
The race took place in the dry and in fairly high temperatures which made the Jerez circuit, which usually offers little grip, even more complicated with very, very low levels of grip. Despite everything, the total racing time was reduced compared to last year; the tires gave maximum grip to the drivers. This weekend again, the entire range of Michelin tires was used: the rain on the first day made it possible to run both centerings of the MICHELIN Power Wets front and rear, then all types of slick tires took to the track, with different combinations, before the final choice for the race.
Michelin and most of the MotoGP teams will remain in Jerez for a test session on Monday where a comparison between the current front tire and a prototype version with harder construction will be held.
The next round of the MotoGP championship will be at home for Michelin, in France, on the legendary Le Mans circuit, Sunday May 21.
Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team:
“I’m really happy with this race and the weekend. The tires worked very well today in the race, despite quite special conditions with very, very little grip. It was more difficult to manage the tires, especially the front with less grip than in testing. So a hard version was needed. I was able to control my first place, even when Marc was pushing hard behind. I am satisfied with this result. It was a good day for me because my rivals are a little far away and I was able to score important points in the championship.
Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and MotoGP Program Supervisor, Michelin Motorsport:
“It was a real challenge today because the track offered very little grip. The surface is still slippery here, but with the temperatures rising, the grip decreased and this surprised the drivers who had not been exposed to this phenomenon in the previous days. They really had to manage their tires to get the best out of them, and that's something we need to take into account when we next visit Jerez if the temperatures are this high. The weather was once again unusual with rain on Friday for the first session which allowed us to evaluate our rain tires which worked very well with the two rubber centers. Then during the other free practice session and in qualifying, all versions of the slicks were tested to find the best performance. And during the race we also saw different options rolling, best suited to the machines and riders.
“We now have a very important test session here in Jerez on Monday where we will evaluate the direction we are going to take for the rest of the season on the construction of the front tire. We can't wait to start these tests and to be at Le Mans, at home, for the next race. »
