A new surface and a new challenge in Assen
After the Sachsenring race, the Michelin Motorsport team and the MotoGP paddock™ head west to the historic TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands for the 90e Motul TT Assen.
The one and only circuit that has hosted motorcycle Grands Prix since the creation of the championship will not only host a round of the MotoGP World Championship this year, but also an FIM Enel MotoE race™ World Cup. Due to health measures, 11 spectators are expected on each of the three days.
In 2020, the circuit was resurfaced and as tests could not take place there, Michelin provided a wider tire allocation than usual with four front MICHELIN Power Slicks and four rears.
The TT Assen Circuit has been extensively modified over the years. The current version, 4,542 km long, with a short straight of 487 m, six left turns and twelve right turns, is one of the favorite and most respected of the season. The circuit is nicknamed “the Cathedral of Motorcycling” and has always offered intense brawls.
It is a historic circuit with fast curves and bankings, but which has all the current safety standards of a modern circuit. These 18 turns put much more strain on the rear tires than the fronts. The rear tire allocation consists of a Soft, a Medium and two Hard MICHELIN Power Slicks with an asymmetrical design and a harder right side to handle the high temperatures and all the stresses that the tires will experience in the right turns. This is one of the keys on this track. Even if the front tires are less stressed, the constraints are still significant. A Soft, a Medium and two Hard with a symmetrical design have the mission of working in harmony with the rears.
After the cancellation of the race in Finland, Assen is the northernmost event on the calendar and its geographical location has often made the use of wet tires compulsory in the past. In case of bad conditions, the MICHELIN Power Rain are offered in Soft and Medium with a symmetrical design for the front, and asymmetrical for the rear with a harder right side.
About this upcoming race, Piero Taramasso, Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager, said: “With its long tradition in motorcycle racing, the Assen TT Circuit is one of the circuits that we and the riders look forward to every year. It's an "old school" circuit, a mix of long and fast curves and bankings. The races there are always exciting and I am sure that fans who have found a ticket will not be disappointed this weekend. »
“From a technical point of view, our MotoGP allocation for Assen 2021 has been developed to support the specific constraints imposed by the number of turns and the new surface, to give grip and progressiveness to the riders throughout the race. In MotoE, our tires have the same performance characteristics. They have been designed for very rapid revving because the race is short in this category. »
The MotoGP program will begin with two Free Practice sessions on Friday, before two more sessions on Saturday, followed by Qualifications 1 and 2 in the afternoon to determine the starting grid. MotoE riders have a Free Practice session on Friday and another on Saturday morning, before EPole in the afternoon. The MotoGP race (26 laps) will start on Sunday at 14:00 p.m. local time and the MotoE race (7 laps) at 15:30 p.m.
