As at the end of 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 in the premier category. And in this regard, the Phillip Island circuit is particularly demanding, if only because of the fluctuating and often very cool conditions that greet the drivers throughout the weekend.
This is why the French manufacturer brought special tires in a category that has only suffered one crash so far (Álex Márquez, turn 6, in FP4), unlike the 31 in Moto3 and Moto2…
After those of Friday, here are the Michelin technical notes from Saturday.
A very positive second day at Phillip Island. It was still cold and breezy, but the tires worked well on this very special circuit. Track temperatures were higher than yesterday with 25°C in the morning session, and 30°C in the afternoon.
The circuit lap record was broken today, with a new best time of 1'27.767.
Numerous laps were completed on the various specifications of the allowance to assess their handling and performance for tomorrow's 27-lap race. In the end, the Medium and Hard options seem to be the favorites for front and rear mounts, because the level of wear of the Soft was high and the probable wear would require very careful management.
The Medium front confirmed what we discovered yesterday, that it offers good levels of grip at maximum lean angle and good feedback.
The Hard front worked well as warm-up time was not an issue due to the asymmetrical design, and the stability was greater than that offered by the Medium.
Good grip was found with the Medium rear, with a quick warm-up time. There was a predictable drop-off in performance, but it still offered good traction.
The Hard rear tire was tested extensively during FP4. Due to the higher track temperatures, this tire performs after 1 or 2 warm-up laps, and is very stable with fairly high grip levels and good consistency. The Soft Rear was used for qualifying and timer attacks, and was by far the best option in terms of grip for the first 2 laps.
