• Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) wins the first round of the season and sets the race lap record with 1'54.624
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) takes the fastest pole position at the Losail International Circuit in 1'52.772
• Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) records the absolute speed record in MotoGP with 362,4 km/h
The new range of MICHELIN Power Slick tires debuted in the best possible way at the 2021 Barwa Qatar Grand Prix, which was won by Maverick Viñales, setting three records during qualifying and during the race at the Losail International Circuit.
Ducati Lenovo Team rider Francesco Bagnaia took advantage of the perfect grip of his MICHELIN Power Slick SOFT tires by taking pole position with a lap completed in 1'52.772, half a second faster than Marc Márquez in 2016 (1). An improvement in tire grip confirmed by the eight best drivers in Q53.380, also faster than the record of the eight-time Spanish world champion from the Repsol Honda Team.
During the same session, Johann Zarco benefited from the grip of his Michelin tires to transmit all the power of his Ducati Desmosedici to the ground when exiting the corner. At the end of the main straight, the French driver reached 362,4 km/h, exceeding the maximum speed of Marc Márquez at Losail in 10,4 by 2019 km/h (352,0 km/h) and 5,7 km/h the highest speed ever reached in MotoGP. The previous record (356,7 km/h) was recorded, again in 2019, by Andrea Dovizioso at the Autodromo del Mugello, in Italy, during free practice.
The third record of the weekend was achieved during the race by the winner, Maverick Viñales. The Spanish driver completed his fourth lap in 1'54.624, three tenths of a second faster than Jorge Lorenzo in 2016 (1'54.927).
After the four free practice sessions, qualifying and warmup, all MotoGP riders selected the MICHELIN Power Slick SOFT for the race. This tire is mono-compound at the front and asymmetric at the rear, with a harder compound on the right side of the tread. Over the course of the tests and by refining the settings of their motorcycle, the riders were able to validate this option in terms of grip and cornering control.
During testing sessions at the beginning of March, the MICHELIN Power Slick SOFT tires already proved to be the fastest in the package. The pilots also took the opportunity to carry out consistency tests, the results of which were conclusive.
Speaking on the performance of the tires during this first weekend in Qatar, Piero Taramasso, two-wheel competition manager at Michelin Motorsport, said: “During the short winter break, our development team worked hard to improve the consistency and versatility of MotoGP tires, without compromising performance. The results we obtained during this first race in Qatar prove that our 2021 range has progressed on all fronts! However, the weather conditions were far from ideal this Sunday, with a constant wind which deposited a thick layer of sand on the track throughout the day. Such a slippery track inevitably has a negative impact on the consistency of the tires, which are subject to continuous friction on the rough asphalt. This phenomenon ultimately did not have a big impact on the times and the most cautious drivers just managed the last laps. We are looking forward to the next race, the Tissot Grand Prix of Doha, which will take place on the same circuit on April 4, to confirm the good conditions of the 2021 Michelin tires.”
