• The eighth round of the FIM World Championship
MotoGP™ took place on the TT Circuit of Assen in the presence of significant thermal variations.
• The MICHELIN Power Slick tires performed well and consistently across a wide temperature range throughout the weekend.
• Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) wins the race and sets all records.
This weekend, the MotoGP and MotoE paddocks stopped in the Netherlands to return to the TT Circuit in Assen, located in the north of the country. Close to the beaches of the North Sea, this route, which has been on the calendar since 1949, offers variable weather conditions and strong thermal variations. A cold breeze from the sea sweeps the track, even in the middle of summer.
The 2024 edition of the Motul TT Assen once again confirmed this trend and the clouds alternated with the sun, notably on Friday and Sunday, while the Qualifications and the Tissot Sprint took place on Saturday under clear skies, without wind and in temperatures which reached 49°C on the ground during the afternoon.
On Friday, thanks to significant thermal variations, the drivers were able to test all tire specifications to prepare well for the weekend. The second qualifying session (Q2) highlighted a significant increase in performance compared to 2023. By achieving pole position, Francesco Bagnaia set the new absolute circuit record in 1'30.540. Note that the progression of times was illustrated by the first 10 drivers, all faster than the 2023 record.
The Tissot Sprint took place on Saturday from 15:00 p.m., when the heat was particularly intense (45°C to 49°C on the track surface). The majority of drivers chose a Soft tire at the rear, while at the front the field was split between Hard and Medium. On a very demanding circuit heated by the sun, the versatility of the Michelin tires allowed the drivers to maintain a high racing pace over all 13 laps.
Francesco Bagnaia won the Tissot Sprint by achieving an overall time 11 seconds faster than last year's time.
At the end of the event, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) and Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) were respectively on the second and third step of the podium.
On Sunday, when the pilots woke up, they discovered the weather was very different from that of the previous day: cloudy skies and 16°C in the air, while an intense cool breeze swept the track. The wind always represents a double difficulty for the pilots. On the one hand, it affects steering by applying parasitic forces on the motorcycle, on the other hand, it accelerates the natural cooling of the tires between corner exits and straight lines, thus producing more variations in grip and pressure. important.
Fortunately, during the day, the clouds gradually dissipated and at the start of the Grand Prix, at 14:00 p.m., the track temperature had risen to 38°C. Leading from start to finish of the event, Francesco Bagnaia won the Motul TT Assen 2024 by setting a new duration record: 40'07.214, 18s faster than his previous reference dating from 2022. This remarkable result is directly from the consistency of its MICHELIN Power Slick Hard tires at the front and Medium at the rear. Jorge Martin, who had opted for Soft rubber at the rear, and Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) completed the podium of the event.
“The Assen TT Circuit is a very technical track, with sequences that generate a lot of stress on the tires. Even though the surface is not among the most abrasive of the season, we nevertheless decided to intervene on the front tires by repositioning the MICHELIN Power Slick Hard rubber compound. It was also a question of responding to the evolution of motorcycles, ever more efficient and loaded with aerodynamics. ", Explain Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin's two-wheel competition. “The decision proved to be a judicious one and the pilots who selected this option have expressed their satisfaction to us. I would also like to highlight the great versatility of the rear MICHELIN Power Slick tires: the Soft, which gave full satisfaction on Saturday on a very hot track without ever showing any sign of weakening, and the Medium on Sunday. The latter allowed the drivers to immediately achieve lap times identical to those of the Soft, while providing great consistency throughout the race. »
Weekend records
Best absolute lap: Francesco Bagnaia in 1'30.540 (-0.9s vs 2023)
Best lap in the race: Francesco Bagnaia in 1'31.866 (-0.6s vs 2022)
Duration of the Tissot Sprint: Francesco Bagnaia in 19'58.090 (-11s vs 2023)
Duration of the race: Francesco Bagnaia in 40'07.214 (-18s vs 2022)
