Direction Malaysia for Michelin, and the last of the three Moto GP racesTM overseas on the Sepang International Circuit, the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, penultimate round of the 2016 season.
Since the tests carried out by Michelin over the 5,543 km last February, the circuit has been completely re-surfaced and its profile has been partially modified. It is therefore a new challenge that awaits drivers, teams and of course Michelin. However, a mid-season test session was carried out with two test drivers and a Grand Prix winner, Cal Crutchlow, to allow the French tire manufacturer and manufacturers to understand all the new features of the circuit. From the information collected, Michelin is able to offer a range of three MICHELIN Power Slicks front tires: soft (white stripe), medium (without stripe) and hard (yellow stripe). Two versions are available at the rear with medium (without stripe) and hard (yellow stripe), these two tires being asymmetrical with a harder compound on the right side.
The hot and humid, but also very unstable, climate of this region will be one of the main elements this weekend. Tropical rains are frequent at the end of the day. For these rainy conditions, Michelin offers two versions of the MICHELIN POWER Rain in soft (blue stripe) and medium (without stripe) for the front and rear. The range is completed by the MICHELIN Power Inter (silver band) for drying track conditions. With the heat, the asphalt dries quickly, this is also one of Sepang's difficulties.
The Sepang International Circuit was built in 1998 and hosted its first MotoGP the following year. Its layout offers exciting races with 15 different turns connected by two long straights on each side of the stands with a very futuristic architectural style. Sepang is located approximately 50 km south of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur and very close to the main airport.
Michelin and its MotoGP partners will take to the track on Friday for two free practice sessions, followed by two more the next day. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The race, 20 laps long, will start on Sunday October 30 at 15:00 p.m. local time (8:00 a.m. French time).
Piero Taramasso – Two-wheel Manager, Michelin Motorsport:
“Sepang is the last race of this Asia-Pacific tour, but we are not going to take it lightly! The circuit has been re-surfaced since our tests last February carried out with all our partners, so most of the data such as wear rate and grip level are no longer up to date. But we did some other testing here mid-season, so we have a basis to work from for this weekend. There are two long straights and several hard braking zones, so front stability is important at Sepang. There are also long curves, so the grip on the angle at the rear is crucial. The temperature can be very high on the track. We must therefore take all these parameters into account when composing our range of tires. We know that the challenge will still be difficult for our tires, but that is our reason for being in MotoGP. The more we learn, the better we will be…”
