MotoGP Austria Michelin anticipates: “the very particular route of the Red Bull Ring could, depending on the weather conditions, make the race difficult”

Michelin is not entering unknown territory on a Red Bull Ring which has been on the calendar since 2016, but this edition of the Austrian Grand Prix will offer something new, which is not a detail for an unfair manufacturer in MotoGP: two 90 degree turns were added as part of a fast chicane, adding new constraints and 30 meters more to do each lap…

The world championship returns to the track and does so at the Red Bull Ring, the track which will host the 13th stage of the MotoGP 2022, i.e. Austrian Grand Prix. The 4 m circuit is one of the most demanding on the calendar in terms of tire demands. This year, to increase safety on the circuit, particularly in the premier category, some changes to the configuration have been made, meaning that the top speed will be reduced at Turn 318 which now has a chicane.

With this change, there are now three left turns, but the remaining seven right turns still generate enormous stress and heat buildup that the tires will have to endure during the 28 laps of the race. The longest of the three straights, which are separated by a few uphill right turns, measures 626m and there is 65m of elevation gain on each lap.

Like last year, Michelin will bring rear tires with a special carcass designed specifically to cope with these difficult track conditions. Later this season, tires with this type of carcass structure will also be used in Buriram, Thailand.

Michelin will bring out its types of tires in Thailand

MotoGP riders will have Soft, Medium and Hard tires at their disposal, with all symmetrical front wheels. These are designed to facilitate quick changes of direction and provide braking grip on the fastest circuit on the calendar. To manage high rear tire temperatures, the Soft, Medium and Hard rear compounds will all be asymmetrical, with a harder right side.

In the event of rain, and it is entirely possible, rain tires with Soft and Medium rubber at the front and rear. Like the slicks, the fronts will be symmetrical and the rears asymmetrical, always with a harder right side. Piero Taramasso, the man from Michelin Motorsport comments on this deadline: “ the very particular layout of the Red Bull Ring could, depending on the weather conditions, make the race difficult. We will have to see what effect the new chicane in turn 2 will have on the tires, because previously the first half of the lap allowed the drivers to maintain very high speeds ».

« Like last year, the very specific construction of the rear tire casings for this circuit is designed to cope with its unique layout and to withstand the heat that will be generated during the race. And he concludes: “To complement the construction of the carcass, the compounds have been designed to provide drivers with consistent grip and predictable handling throughout the weekend, from free practice and qualifying to the 28-lap race ».