As on each Grand Prix day, Michelin broadcasts its technical notes concerning the more or less perfect osmosis between the track and the MotoGP tires that it provides to all the competitors. And if Misano had been a success in this area, it was not said, far from it, that the same tires brought to Aragón would be as satisfactory for the French manufacturer.
However, after a slightly worrying first morning regarding the grip and the level of degradation of the rear tire, the situation normalized this Saturday, leading to an anticipated hard front/medium rear choice for the 23-lap race.
Here are the Michelin technical notes.
Friday :
Dry and windy weather today at Motorland Aragon.
Green track conditions with a layer of dust in the morning (which is normal here), with track temperatures of 27°C. Better conditions in the afternoon following more laps completed by the different classes, with track temperatures 42°C higher.
The asphalt here is old (laid in 2009) and the grip level is very low compared to other circuits on the calendar. Grip was minimal in the morning, with the front and rear feeling slippery. This was confirmed by the marked appearance of the tire tread. Better grip and better sensations during FP2 with a cleaner/grippy track.
There is not much to say about the morning session, due to the poor conditions, except that the Medium front seemed the best solution for these conditions, compared to the Soft front which moved a lot. The Medium rear performed better than the Hard because it offered more grip.
In FP2, the Hard front/Medium rear combination was good (the winning choice for the 2021 race). Very good performance at the front as it gave stability and consistency, while the rear offered good levels of grip and a little predictable degradation. The appearance of the tires, once worn, was good. The soft rear tire, used for the attack on the time trial, didn't really give any extra grip compared to the medium tire, but at this stage the conditions were not optimal for this option.
Lap times were 3/10 of a second faster than Friday in 2021.
On Saturday:
Track conditions were much better today, with temperatures of 24°C in the morning and 36°C in the afternoon.
The circuit lap record was broken by three drivers during Q2, and we saw strong performances from the Hard Front/Medium Rear combination, which will most certainly be the unanimous choice for the race. This combination offers good feeling and stability at the front, with good performance at the rear in terms of grip and consistency. The Soft front end was used in the morning session, and in qualifying by the less aggressive riders who appreciated the high levels of grip at maximum lean angle. The Soft rear worked well in qualifying, as it had good initial grip, but after a few laps the loss of potential was quite significant with the track conditions here in Aragón.
