Michelin is crossing the Channel for the 12th round of the 2016 MotoGPTM World Championship, the Octo British Grand Prix, which will take place on Sunday in the heart of England, on the Silverstone circuit.
With 5,902 km and 18 turns – rhythmic sequences and fast curves – this circuit is the longest of the MotoGP season and one of the fastest. Due to the profile of the track and the average abrasiveness of the surface, the longevity of the tire will be a key factor this weekend, and with many straight lines and areas of heavy braking, the stability of the front in will be another. All these elements, combined with the northern geographical location of Silverstone – only Assen is further north – mean that the Michelin tire range has been selected to cover all eventualities, including weather.
The MICHELIN Power Slicks are available in three versions at the front – soft (white stripe), medium (without identification) and hard (yellow stripe) – and two at the rear with tires developed specifically for Silverstone and its 10 turns. to the right. The rear tires, with an asymmetrical design with a reinforced right shoulder and a softer left side for rapid acceleration on the 8 left turns, are offered in soft (white stripe) and medium (no marking). The MICHELIN Power Rain front tire is available in extra soft (light blue stripe), soft (blue stripe) and medium (without marking) versions. They can be combined with a rear rain tire available in soft (blue stripe) and hard (without identification) versions. The MICHELIN Power Inter (silver stripe) will also be there if the weather is changeable, which is often the case at Silverstone. This tire could therefore play an important role.
The Silverstone circuit is located in Northamptonshire, in the heart of England, and has a glorious history in motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Major games have taken place there on two wheels over the years. The Complex section was added by the latest configuration of the circuit, but the most famous corners remain Luffield, Woodcote and Maggots. Silverstone is approximately 130 km north of London and 100 km south of Birmingham. A large crowd is therefore expected within the circuit.
Michelin and its MotoGP partners will take to the track on Friday morning for the first of two free practice sessions. A third session will be held on Saturday morning before two qualifying sessions on Saturday afternoon which will decide the starting grid for this 20-lap long race. Sunday September 4, the drivers will not start at the usual time, but at 15:30 p.m. local time (16:30 p.m. French time).
As a preamble to the Grand Prix weekend, the festivities will begin on Thursday September 1 at Silverstone with the traditional “Day of Champions”. This fantastic auction raises funds for the Two Wheels for Life charity and has become a major event of the British Grand Prix. Michelin will participate in the event by offering a MotoGP replica tire signed by all MotoGP riders. More info at www.twowheelsforlife.org.uk
Piero Taramasso – Two-wheel Manager, Michelin Motorsport: “Silverstone is one of the most difficult races for us to tackle because you never know what the weather will be like in England. The circuit is very exposed so it can rain, it can be cold, it can be windy... And if the sun is shining, the temperature of the track can climb very high. Silverstone is a technical circuit with a high average speed and lots of fast corners. We must therefore offer tires capable of withstanding all these technical and weather constraints. We are bringing rear tires that we think are suitable for this track, combined with the construction that was so effective in the dry in Brno with which Marc Marquez and Jorge Lorenzo improved the circuit record. We know that they will perform well on this track. After the gloomy conditions we have experienced recently, we would like the weather to be good all weekend at Silverstone. »
