FIVE RACES IN TWO WEEKENDS ON THE ITALIAN COAST FOR MICHELIN
Michelin's next mission in this unusual season is to travel to Italy, to the recently resurfaced Marco Simoncelli World Circuit in Misano, for two MotoGP™ and three MotoE™ races spread over two consecutive weekends: the Gran Premio Lenovo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini then the Gran Premio TISSOT dell’Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini.
The 4,226 km circuit is located near the Adriatic coast and its very technical layout makes it one of the most complicated of the season. The fast curves, slow turns and a short straight line are very demanding for the MICHELIN Power Slicks front tires, the range of which chosen for these two races was adapted to the new surface – on which Michelin was able to test at the start of the year – to offer drivers and machines the best possible performance on this track. To negotiate the six turns on the left and ten on the right, Michelin offers symmetrical soft, medium and hard front slick tires, plus a fourth specification – as authorized by the regulations for a resurfaced circuit -, an asymmetrical hard with a more right side. hard to offer a wider choice to pilots. At the rear, the soft, medium and hard slick tires are in an asymmetrical version with a reinforced right side due to the greater number of right turns and the additional stress on this side generated by the 27 laps of each of the two races. MotoGP.
Due to the geographical location and the time of year, the “Misano Grand Prix” has been heavily rained out in recent years. The MICHELIN Power Rain tires are therefore included in the package, in a soft and medium symmetrical version for the front and in an asymmetrical soft and medium version for the rear with a harder right side to give the best grip in the event of precipitation.
Located near the city of Rimini, the circuit has been part of the MotoGP calendar since 2007. It is always a warm, sold-out event with 60 spectators. This season, the MotoGP races took place behind closed doors due to the Covid-000 pandemic, but the two events at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli will be the first to welcome the public. The local authorities have given their agreement to welcome 19 spectators each day under very strict social distancing conditions around the circuit.
MotoGP will follow the same program every weekend, with two free practice sessions on Friday and two more on Saturday before qualifying. Sunday September 13, the Gran Premio Lenovo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini will start at 14:00 p.m. local time, and the Gran Premio TISSOT dell'Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini will start at the same time on Sunday September 20.
Michelin will also be on deck with three FIM Enel MotoE™ races organized over these two weekends. The French tire manufacturer is the official supplier of tires for the Energica Ego Corsa 100% electric motorcycles. After a promising debut at Jerez in Spain in July, this is the second circuit on which the new MICHELIN Slick MotoE will compete. The rear slick tire has been revised and the entire 100 range now includes biomaterials and regenerated materials. MotoE's new Michelin tires are more efficient and more environmentally friendly and the rubbers incorporate sustainable materials. The slicks are available in medium at the front and soft at the rear – the same on each race – both being symmetrical. In case of bad weather, the MICHELIN Power Rain are available in soft front and extra soft rear, both being symmetrical.
Michelin will be in action in the MotoE free practice sessions and the exciting E-Pole before each race. At the Gran Premio Lenovo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, only one race will be organized, at 10:05 a.m. local time on Sunday September 13. The following weekend will see a double confrontation during the Gran Premio TISSOT dell'Emilia Romagna e della Riviera di Rimini: the first on Saturday September 19 at 16:15 p.m. local time and the second at 10:05 a.m. local time on Sunday September 20.
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
« The races that follow one another are always very demanding, but here, these two meetings that await us include three MotoE races and two MotoGP in two weekends. So it will be very busy, but we will all be very focused on offering drivers – whatever the categories – the same advice and information. Misano is a circuit in its own right and you never really know what to expect. There was a lot of grip in 2018 and we broke many records, the laps were very fast and consistent. But last year, the coating offered very little grip. The circuit was resurfaced before this season and thanks to the tests carried out by the teams and drivers, we had all the data to choose the tires. We will see how the asphalt behaves this year over these two weekends. »
« There will be three MotoE races, one during the first weekend and two the following weekend. We will use the new tires designed with biomaterials and recycled materials that worked so well in Jerez in July. We hope they will give drivers all the grip they need for these more sustainable races so important to Michelin. »
“Another challenge of these two weekends, the spectators will be back after five races behind closed doors. Capacity will certainly be limited in Misano, but it is an important step, especially given this pandemic which has severely affected Italy. It's very positive to see the competent authorities take the decision to accept fans, I hope we will give them a great show. »
