Michelin was the title sponsor of the Gran Premio Michelin® in Aragón, Spain. Local MotoGP™ hero Álex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) came out on top, becoming the eighth winner of this exciting season.
This weekend, on the 5,077 km anti-clockwise circuit of MotorLand Aragón, low temperatures were at the heart of the debates and forced the organizers to postpone the start time of the 23-lap race by one hour. The conditions were then perfect for the MICHELIN Power Slicks with a track temperature of 31°C.
Party of 10e place on the grid, Rins had to sneak through the peloton – setting the fastest lap in the race – before joining the leading group, overtaking pole sitter Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) then taking the advantage over the leader from the start of the race Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Its soft front and rear MICHELIN Power Slicks tires gave it the grip and performance needed to control the race. Behind, several fights took place under the leadership of Álex Márquez (Repsol Honda Team) who started from 11e place on the grid, returning on the heels of Rins. But the Suzuki driver retained the advantage to win on his circuit. Márquez took second place, his second podium in as many weeks. Joan Mir (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) finished third, a result which allows him to take the reins of the championship and Suzuki to sign its best result in MotoGP.
With the low temperatures of the weekend, the tire choices were the subject of all the discussions among the teams and the selection of the day included four specifications, only the hard front and rear not having been selected. Rins and Mir were equipped with soft/soft, while Márquez opted for a medium front and a soft rear.
Early leader Viñales crossed the line in fourth, while fifth-placed Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda) took the First Independent Rider standings. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) finished in sixth place and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) maintains all his title hopes with seventh place. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) finished eighth ahead of Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) who completed the top ten. With such cold asphalt, fast laps were difficult to string together this weekend, but the performance of the MICHELIN Power Slicks tires led to a new maximum speed record on this circuit with Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) clocked at 351,8 km/h, more than 5 km/h higher than the previous record.
Michelin remains in Aragon for the second race of this double confrontation, with the first Gran Premio Liqui Moly in Teruel on Sunday October 25.
Alex Rins – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR:
« It's incredible to win here in Aragon because when I was little, I spent my holidays in a nearby village. I dedicate this victory to all the people who could not come to the circuit today because of Covid. Suzuki really wanted this victory because we had a lot of podiums with Joan (Mir), but victory eluded us this season. It finally happened and I'm happy. I am also very happy to win the Michelin Grand Prix, especially after the performance of the soft tires today. I felt good with the medium front, but I was very confident with the soft front for the race. »
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
« The Michelin Grand Prix is always a special event for us and the race was magnificent with a new winner. We now have four winning manufacturers this season, proving that our tires are suitable for all machines and riders. The weekend was complicated because of the very cold temperatures. The asphalt was less than 10°C on Friday morning and it is always very difficult for the drivers to generate heat and keep the tires warm in these conditions. We gave them advice, but the organizers made the decision to delay all sessions and the race. It was the best thing for all categories. With warmer temperatures in the afternoons, the tire choices were interesting and we saw four specifications for the race. They all performed well and despite the difficulties – on and off the track – we are satisfied with the weekend from a sporting point of view. We are staying there for another race weekend, the weather conditions are looking better. We therefore hope to break records. »
