Michelin faced extremely difficult track conditions all weekend at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya at the Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya, near Montmeló (Spain), before Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) won the MotoGP race™.
The 4,627 km long circuit was complicated for everyone this weekend due to the wind having brought sand from the Sahara, more than 1000 km away, onto the track and surrounding areas during stormy episodes at the start of the week. . These very sandy conditions greatly reduced the grip of the asphalt and complicated tire choices as the drivers tried to make the best decisions to extract maximum performance from the MICHELIN Power Slicks over the 24 laps of the race.
After the four free practice, qualifying and warmup sessions this morning, the track had only slightly improved. But today's higher temperatures added the challenges of a hot and slippery surface. With such unusual conditions, it is no surprise that the six MICHELIN Power Slicks options were selected for the race in different configurations depending on the bikes. Michelin technicians worked tirelessly all weekend to give the best advice and opinions on the best tires for the race. And despite the very delicate conditions, the Michelin tires worked well to provide the best possible grip on such a slippery surface.
The race started in temperatures of 51°C – the highest of the weekend – and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), who qualified in pole position, got off to a good start. But he was overtaken by Márquez and Andrea Dovizioso (Mission Winnow Ducati) at the first corner. The race looked like a melee with many riders grouped at the front, but a crash by Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) penalized Dovizioso, Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). This unfortunate incident left Mástand alone in front of the pack and he used his hard front and soft rear MICHELIN Power Slicks to climb to the top of the podium for the fourth time this season. He consolidates his leadership position in the championship.
A superb battle took place behind MáLook for the other places on the podium between Quartararo, Danilo Petrucci (Mission Winnow Ducati) and Álex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) who exchanged positions. Quartararo won this fight to finish second, his choice of soft at the front and medium at the rear giving him the confidence to achieve his best result for his first season, and win the First Independent Rider award. Petrucci confirmed his recent victory with a third place. He opted for a soft front and rear, while the fourth, Rins, preferred a medium front and rear. Four different manufacturers occupy the final top-4, each having used a different tire combination. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) finished fifth ahead of Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR). Pol Espargaró (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) finished seventh ahead of Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda). Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) and Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) complete the top ten.
Michelin remains in Catalonia for a day of testing on Monday, before leaving for Assen, in the Netherlands, for the eighth round of the season scheduled for Sunday June 30.
Marc Márquez – Repsol Honda Team:
“We had a good strategy. We worked really hard all weekend to understand the different tire options. Finally, I chose hard before, I was the only one. I associated it with a soft rear, while most opted for the medium. I believed in the soft because it is more efficient at the start of the race and I was able to manage it afterwards. I wanted to widen the gap at the start of the race and control afterwards. That’s what I did and I’m very happy with this victory.”
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“We cannot deny that the weekend was difficult. We arrived here thinking that the track would behave like last year and allow us to break records and set fast laps. But from Friday, it was obvious that the asphalt would not offer the expected grip. It was so dirty and gave so little grip, and when the temperatures rose it changed everything again. The team worked very hard to find the best solutions and we achieved this over the course of the weekend. The options offered by our range gave all riders the opportunity to find a high-performance tire for their motorcycle, and all six compounds were used. The different choices were highlighted by the top four – four different brands – who had all chosen different tire combinations. We are happy with how the tires performed in such conditions and this gives us very valuable information for the future. We remain in testing on Monday where we will work on tires for 2020. Then it will be Assen where we expect a close fight, conditions permitting! ".
