The MotoGP™ paddock now stops in Spain, heading to MotorLand Aragónot. The circuit, located near Alcañiz, in the Teruel region, will host the first European Grand Prix on Sunday September 22 in the name of the French tire manufacturer, since the 14e round of the season is titled Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragón.
MotorLand Aragón represents a real challenge for tires and, like the Phillip Island track (Australia) which previously hosted the Michelin Grand Prix, requires a range perfectly suited to its requirements. The route is 5,078 km long, to be covered by drivers in a counter-clockwise direction, and includes 10 left turns and 7 right turns, ranging from fast curves to tight hairpins, without forgetting a long straight of around one kilometer where the engines are pushed at full speed. Tires are therefore called upon to deliver their full performance in a wide range of different situations. In addition, MotorLand Aragón is located on a desert plateau where temperatures can be very high during the day, while mornings are generally cool. These thermal variations impose additional constraints on the tires, which require wide operating windows. The allocation of MICHELIN Power Slicks chosen for this weekend includes a soft, a medium and a hard tire, all symmetrical for the front, while the rears – a soft, a medium and a hard – are asymmetrical with one side left harder. There is always a risk of rain and thunderstorms in Aragon. In the event of showers, drivers will have suitable tires and the MICHELIN Power Rain range available to them consists of a soft and a medium for the front and rear. The fronts are symmetrical, the rears are asymmetrical like their slick counterparts.
The Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragón is the fourth Grand Prix of which Michelin is title sponsor since its return to MotoGP in 2016. The previous three took place in Australia and provided exciting races. With “its” Grand Prix now in Europe, Michelin is confident that the drivers will offer an equally grandiose spectacle, to once again demonstrate all the performance of French tires on the Spanish circuit. Trophies specially made in 3D printing in titanium by AddUp (a company co-founded by Michelin) will be offered to the winners in MotoGP, Moto2TM and Moto3TM on the podium on Sunday.
Michelin will take to the track of its own Grand Prix on Friday September 20 for two free practice sessions. Others are scheduled for Saturday morning before qualifying which will decide the starting grid for the Gran Premio Michelin® de Aragon, a 23-lap long race whose start will be given on Sunday September 22 at 13:00 p.m. (local time) at an unusual time for the European rounds.
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“Having the Michelin Grand Prix now in Europe represents something special for us. The proximity to Clermont-Ferrand will allow us to welcome many colleagues from both our head office and the factories, to discover the world of MotoGP. MotorLand Aragon is a very demanding circuit due to its profile and the track can be cold in the morning and overheated in the afternoon. Asphalt is very abrasive, especially when the wind deposits dust on the track. We have put together the range of tires taking into account all these constraints and we are confident that, as we saw last year, when the temperatures were the highest in Aragon for a MotoGP, all the tires offered had been used and had been efficient. But at Michelin we always push ourselves to progress and this year we hope to break new records during “our Grand Prix”. »
